Ginny Weasley and the Purple Eyed Girl
by Combusken96
Summary: Set after events of HP7. Hermione has returned to Hogwarts and is now in the same year as Ginny. Ginny begins to harbor a secret burning passion for her best friend. Rated M for explicit sexual themes.
1. Chapter 1

This is a romance set after the events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, when Ginny and Hermione return to Hogwarts to complete their education together. I'll be adding more chapters in the near future so stay tuned. This is my first time writing and posting fanfiction, so leave a review to let me know if you like it! Hope you enjoy!

Rated M for language, drinking, violence, and explicit sexual themes.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or story of Harry Potter. That's J K Rowling you're thinking of.

* * *

Chapter 1

Ginny half ran up the stairs, trying her best to keep her breathing steady. She could still feel the place on her leg where Hermione had touched her, almost as if her hand was still pressed against it. She felt dizzy, disoriented, as though she was about to faint.

She reached the dormitory and entered to find it mercifully empty. She breathed a sigh of relief and sank into her four-poster bed. Ignoring the tingling sensation lingering on her leg, she rolled onto her back, looking up at the canopy of her bed, thinking.

They had been talking around the fire in the common room after coming up from dinner. Ginny had confided to Hermione that she was frustrated Harry hadn't come back to the school that year, because it would have meant that they would have had so much more time together. Hermione had laid her hand on Ginny's leg to comfort her when Ginny had felt something like an electric jolt run up her body. She didn't understand why a friendly gesture from Hermione would have such an effect on her. The only times she had ever gotten that flustered was when Harry had touched her, whether in passing or during those secluded hours they had spent in and around the castle more than a year ago. She supposed a year of no sex would make her more sensitive to any physical contact, but why Hermione?

They had known each other for years. They had hugged, cried together, and even slept in the same room. They had even seen each other naked on a few occasions.

Ginny's mind wandered to when they had shared a tent at the Quidditch World Cup four years ago.

Hermione had come out of the shower searching for a change of clothes, looking as if she was forcing herself to appear casual while at the same time trying her best to hide her body. Before Ginny had politely looked away, she had seen that Hermione had somewhat larger breasts than her, though she had nonchalantly pressed an arm against them.

Raising her head on her pillow, Ginny lifted the collar of her shirt to peer down at her own breasts. At the moment, she wasn't wearing a bra. She sometimes liked to go a day without one as she was quite proud of her breasts and enjoyed the sensation of the fabric against her bare skin. They were round and perky, and had small, light pink nipples that, she was embarrassed to discover, were slowly hardening under her gaze.

She attempted to relax again, blushing, trying not to think about Hermione, but another memory forced its way into her mind.

* * *

It was the morning of Bill and Fleur's wedding, just over a year ago, and Ginny was just about to change into her gold bridesmaid dress. It was early in the afternoon, and a ray of bright sunlight was shining through her window, bathing the room in warm light. She was naked and on the point of putting on her underwear when she heard her door open. She turned, hoping to discover Harry watching her, but it was only Hermione. She took one glance at Ginny before covering her eyes with her hands.

"Oh, sorry!" she said hastily. "I didn't mean to, I should have knocked —"

"It's ok," Ginny said, a little disappointed. "Come in. You can lower your hands, I don't really mind."

Hermione complied hesitantly and, blushing a little, went over to her bed where her own gown was lying. She began to take off her clothes while Ginny started getting dressed. The excitement she had felt when she thought Harry had walked in on her naked had faded. They had had virtually no contact over the last couple of days while everyone was preparing for the wedding. It was so maddening to be in the same house together but never get a moment alone.

As she pulled on a pair of lace panties, she caught Hermione stealing covert glances at her out of the corner of her eye.

"What?" she said, turning to face Hermione, her breasts still exposed.

"Huh?"

"Don't 'huh' me, you were just looking at me, weren't you? Were you checking me out or something?" she said with a grin.

Hermione recovered fast.

"Well yes, actually," she said, in a business like tone that threw Ginny off. Before she could respond, however, Hermione elaborated.

"You've got a more athletic body than me. I've always been jealous, it must be nice being so attractive."

"You are attractive. You're cute, your hair is beautiful, especially today, and I don't know anyone half as smart as you are."

Hermione gave a nervous, unconvinced scoff and went back to undressing in order to hide the fact that she was blushing.

"And you've got bigger boobs than me," Ginny added just as Hermione removed her bra, fully exposing them for the first time to her.

Hermione spluttered and blushed harder than ever, turning away from Ginny to hide her chest.

"No, wait," said Ginny, who was rather enjoying teasing Hermione. "Can I see them? We can compare."

Hermione hesitated for a fraction of a second before turning to Ginny, trying to look calm and uncaring, though still a little pink. Ginny walked forward, her arms folded across her own chest, examining Hermione's breasts with keen interest. She hadn't seen another girl's breasts before except in the showers and changing rooms for Quidditch. But those had been mere glances. She had never seen any up close.

Now however, she looked at Hermione's breasts intently, as though she had been given permission to be curious. Hermione's were indeed larger than Ginny's, but not by much. She had nipples that looked like tiny little top hats that we're standing at attention in the cool room.

"They're gorgeous," said Ginny, truthfully. She stood looking at them for a moment, then lowered her arms, exposing her own breasts again. "Alright, what do you think? Be honest."

Hermione looked taken aback at being asked her opinion. She looked from Ginny's face to her breasts, seeming at a loss for words. Ginny merely waited expectantly, half amused, half encouraging.

Hermione gazed at Ginny's chest, taking in every inch before saying, "They look lovely."

She turned abruptly and began to attach her lace bra with every appearance of wanting to leave the room quickly. Before Ginny could respond however, there came a knock at the door, causing both of them to jump.

"Hurry up girls!" came the somewhat muffled voice of Ginny's mother. "The guests are starting to arrive and I want both of you dressed and ready to come down and greet them!"

* * *

Back in the present, Ginny blinked and looked down. She had been kneading her breast while her other hand had trailed down her body. She had been pressing against her robes on the spot between her legs. She shifted in her position and was startled to find that her panties had become slightly wet. Her heart rate had gone up and a blush had crept up her face so that she felt hot and giddy all over again.

She removed her hands from her body, still feeling aroused. She lay there for a moment, her body tingling and her face burning. She felt a stab of shame at what she had been doing. She could not believe she had almost masturbated to Hermione, her best friend. Hermione, who had become something of an older sister to her.

She tried to relax by taking slow, deep breaths, but the throbbing between her legs continued. She tried to think about something different to distract her, anything, but it was no use. Her sexual frustration was becoming unbearable. She needed release.

Getting to her feet, she pulled her robes off, unbuttoned her shirt and dropped them in her bag beside her bed. She climbed back under the white linen sheets, wearing only her skirt and panties, and lay face down.

She snaked her hands between the bed and her body, rubbing her bare breasts. Her fingers made tight circles around her nipples, kneading them as best she could in her position. As she did so, she lightly pinched her nipples, sending jolts up and down her body. She let out a soft breath she hadn't realized she was holding in. Her flaming red hair slid to hide her face as she shifted her body.

After a few minutes, she slid a hand down her chest. She thought fleetingly about attempting to take it slow, but as she slipped her hand under her skirt, her hips bucked unconsciously against her hand in excitement. She let out another tense breath as she felt how wet her panties had become.

Her heartbeat quickened and her breath hitched as she pressed her fingers against her damp panties. She started to rub around the spot, first in wide circles, trying to see how long she could avoid touching the center before succumbing to her libido. At the same time, she kept her other hand concentrated on her breast. She squeezed at it, trying to grasp the whole breast before pinching and twisting the nipple. She started to grind her hips into her hand and as she did so, her palm brushed against her wet spot. She let out a muffled moan into her pillow as she felt a small amount of warm fluid escape her, dampening the already wet fabric.

Her brain felt foggy with pleasure. Her breathing became more ragged as her face and body flushed with heat and color.

Feeling a little uncomfortable, she twisted under the covers so she was lying on her back and propped her pillow under her head. She leaned back and raised her hips, sliding her skirt half way down her legs. She lifted the covers to find that her nipples were standing up. Looking between her breasts, she saw the large wet spot darkening her pink panties.

She resumed her attack, first pressing both her hands against her breasts. She let out a gasp as her left hand, which was still wet from her panties, made contact. She stayed on her breasts for few minutes, kneading and pressing her nipples, sending small shocks of pleasure to her brain with each pinch before sliding her hand back down between her legs. Her hips began to buck against her hand again. She rubbed the fabric covering her, pressing down on it with two fingers.

She began to rock in earnest now, grinding against her hand which was slick with her own fluids. She pressed hard against her center, making small noises somewhere between a squeak and a moan.

She moved her right hand to the breast which was still wet from its contact with the hand now buried between her legs. She rubbed her now slick nipple, pressing down on it for a minute. She moved her fingers to her lips and sucked at them, tasting the sweetness of her residual pleasure before returning her hand to her breast. Every few seconds she switched between nipples, first licking her fingers to keep them damp.

She started to pant, grinding harder than ever into her fingers. She was pressing her soaked panties so hard that the fabric was actually entering into her. The friction of the cotton inside her was driving her crazy.

She bit her lip, trying desperately to hold back the moans that were now escaping her. She could feel a rising heat spread across her body and knew she was on the edge. She tried to fix her mind on Harry, his strong muscles and his handsome face. But the image of Hermione came unbidden into her mind. She imagined her walking in on Ginny at this moment. The thought excited her so much that she didn't care if it came true. Then she imagined Hermione stripping off her clothes and joining her, burying her face between Ginny's legs.

Her back arched off the bed as she pressed down hard with her fingers, sending a huge surge to her brain, blocking out everything else. Her breath stuck in her lungs and she opened her mouth in a silent yell. Warm fluid leaked through her panties, soaking her hand. She pinched her nipple and continued to rub her clit energetically. Fluids continued to flow from her, trickling down her panties and soaking the bedsheets under her, but it only heightened her excitement. A blissful feeling of contentment flooded her mind and body as she convulsed and rubbed, riding out her orgasm for as long as she could.

Ginny let out a loud sigh, coming off her high. Her body fell limply back on to the bed. She felt hot and sweaty, not to mention exhausted. Her hand felt a little sore, but she lifted it from her panties, strings of pleasure stretching from the warm fabric to her fingers. They broke as she lifted her hand to her lips and sucked at them, smiling. She savored the taste for a minute then lay back, sliding her fingers lightly around her nipples.

After a few minutes of cooling down, she leaned up into a sitting position. The bedding stuck to her back somewhat as she pulled the covers off. She felt immensely content and sleepy, but she got to her feet, slipped out of her skirt, and took off her panties. Picking up her wand from her bedside table, she cleaned the residue and sweat from herself as well as her panties and bed with a lazy flick. She climbed back in to her now dry, soft bed, not bothering to put on her nightclothes, and was asleep within minutes.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

* * *

Ginny awoke the next day to the sound of Hermione's cheery voice.

"Come on Ginny," she said briskly. "You don't want to be late for breakfast, it's the first day you know."

Ginny opened her eyes to find Hermione already dressed and following the other girls out of the dormitory. She turned her head groggily to face her alarm clock. She had about an hour before their first lesson began, which gave her plenty of time to relax and head down to breakfast.

She groaned and let her head fall back on her pillow. No one ever told her to wake up at Hogwarts. She wasn't exactly close with the other girls in her dormitory, they usually kept to themselves. Now that Hermione was effectively in the same year as she was, they would be spending the year in the same dormitory. Ginny knew that Hermione always got up early, and made a mental note to ask her to let her sleep in the future.

As she lay there, slowly waking up, she became aware of the fact that she was completely naked. The events of the previous night came rushing back to her, and she suddenly didn't feel so tired anymore. She had masturbated, actually masturbated to the thought of Hermione.

"Dammit," she muttered to herself.

She felt dirty, and not in the good way. She had a boyfriend, moreover a boyfriend who was probably the most famous and important wizard in the world. After nearly a year apart, they had spent four months together before she had to return to Hogwarts. Harry had been extremely busy with helping Kingsley at the Ministry. What little time they had left to each other had been spent recounting their experiences while they had been apart. They had gotten back together as a couple now that Voldemort was dead, but they were given very little alone time. Now, she was looking at another four months away from him again.

Why couldn't Harry come back to Hogwarts? Hermione had come back to finish her education, so why not him? It was his home, apart from the Burrow. It was where she, Ginny, was. She couldn't understand why he would knowingly give up that time with her for no good reason.

She punched her pillow angrily. She loved Harry very much, she had always loved him. But the thought of last night scared her. What if Harry found out? Would he still love her?

She rolled over restlessly, wondering why she was feeling this sudden attraction to her best friend.

It couldn't be actual love, she thought. She was already in love with someone else. With a jolt, she reminded herself that Hermione was, too. She had Ginny's brother, Ron, so of course she couldn't get tangled up with Ginny. That would be so messed up and confusing. She felt a pang of annoyance at the thought.

Lying there with nothing but her troubled thoughts, she got to her feet and stretched, pushing her chest out. She grabbed her clothes that she had discarded the other night, got dressed and headed down for breakfast.

* * *

Ginny's head drooped and fell from her hand, jolting her awake.

She was in the first Defense Against the Dark Arts class of the term. They were supposed to be listening to the new professor's lecture on Basilisk's vision, but Ginny had become distracted by Hermione, who was sitting in front of her. She had been staring at the back of her head, admiring the way the sun glinted on her brown curls, and had dozed off.

Even though she was taking the N.E.W.T level Defense Against the Dark Arts, she couldn't help feeling it was going to be dull, for her at least. She had dueled multiple Death Eaters, including Lord Voldemort's lieutenant, Bellatrix Lestrange. She had been one of the leaders of the DA in Harry's absence, and fought in several battles, risking her life. She could practically teach the subject at this point. And of course Hermione knew the subject better than anyone. She'd been through much more than Ginny.

Her mind began to wander to Hermione, but she forced herself not to think about her. Feeling bored, she flicked lazily through her textbook, looking at all the dangerous monsters and creatures it showed. Without much interest, she flipped past a chapter on Acromantulas and found herself suddenly looking at a picture of a naked woman.

Her stomach lurched in surprise. She turned the previous page back on the image, hiding it from view as she looked surreptitiously around to see if anyone had noticed. She was sitting in the back row. The students on either side of her were either watching the professor, writing notes, or in some cases, sleeping.

Arranging her arms so as to block her book from view if any of them looked over, Ginny pulled back the page, and looked at the woman.

She was depicted sitting on a rock by a stream, swinging her long slender legs. She was absolutely gorgeous, with dark, waist length hair that she was running her fingers through. She had a perfectly shaped body in Ginny's opinion, with lightly tanned skin and no visible blemishes. There was no sign of a tan line on her naked form. Her face looked young and extremely attractive, but it was her eyes that drew Ginny's gaze. She had deep purple irises that seemed to pull her in. They were half closed as she looked up at Ginny with obvious seduction and lust.

Ginny's eyes raked her figure, her heartbeat rising. The woman's breasts were quite large, larger than Hermione's, though they were partially obscured by her long hair. The woman had also been painted with her legs crossed. She supposed this was, after all, a school textbook and therefore wouldn't have too much nudity in it. Nevertheless, Ginny felt a slight twinge in her gut as she stared at the woman. She wondered vaguely what she was doing in her textbook.

Before she could investigate further however, the bell that signaled the end of the lesson sounded. Ginny jumped and shut the book with a snap as her classmates all got up to leave. Still a little shaken, she followed Hermione out the door and into the corridor filling with students.

"I thought that was rather easy, didn't you?" asked Hermione. "I mean, I know it might have been traumatic for you back then, but I think we learned all we needed to know about them back in our first and second year."

"Uh... what?" said Ginny, her mind still on the woman in her textbook.

"You know," said Hermione, lowering her voice slightly. "The Basilisk, from the Chamber..."

"Oh! Yeah, that," said Ginny, remembering their lesson. "...Well, I never saw it until it was dead. It was just Riddle and the diary for me. You're the one who figured out it was a Basilisk, remember? You figured it out when nobody else did."

"I suppose so," said Hermione, trying to sound modest.

They fell silent, climbing the stairs back to Gryffindor tower. Ginny thought about Hermione. If it hadn't been for her, she, Ginny, would have perished in her first year. A great rush of gratitude welled up inside of her and she felt like hugging Hermione, but thought better of it.

She still hadn't worked out what was going on between them. She also felt like her feelings for women in general had changed. She had just been turned on by a small painting of a naked woman. It was just a painting, Ginny knew that, but if she was being honest with herself, she had found her attractive. She didn't feel like she usually felt about attractive women, like she simply admired or envied of their looks. She felt like she would have gladly fallen through the painting and held her, kissed her soft lips. She would have slid her dark hair out of the way and squeezed her breasts, kissing her way down to...

"Ginny? I'm talking to you."

Ginny gave a start and looked up. "What?"

"I said you look really out of it today. Something wrong?" said Hermione, looking at her questioningly.

"I'm fine! It's just..." she cast her mind around feverishly for an excuse. "Harry. I really miss him. I can't stop thinking about him."

Hermione looked at her for a moment. Then she leaned in and hugged Ginny, who stiffened at the sudden contact. Their chests were pressed together. Hermione's brown bushy hair smelled like honeysuckle and books. Her intoxicating smell, coupled with the physical contact made Ginny feel like she was about to melt on the spot.

"I know how you feel, really I do," said Hermione, rubbing Ginny's back and causing her heart to jump into her throat. "I'm sure he feels the same about you."

Screw Harry. He didn't come back for her, even though he could have. But Hermione had, she had come back for Ginny, had decided to spend the whole year with her, together, alone.

She stood there, breathing in Hermione's scent for a minute, smiling blissfully. And then Hermione pulled away.

"Come on, let's head back to the common room, we have a free period now, we can talk in there."

Ginny's heart sank back down past its usual spot and settled somewhere in the pit of her stomach. She suddenly felt too awkward to stay in Hermione's presence. Just now, the idea of spending a free period with her, possibly in their dormitory with no one else around was simply exhilarating, but terrifying.

"You... You go on ahead," she stammered. "I've... gotta go to the bathroom."

And she ran off, hoping Hermione would think she was going off to think about Harry.

She made her way down the corridor in the opposite direction of Gryffindor tower, holding her legs tight together. Her cheeks felt hot. When she rounded the corner, she didn't go for the bathroom, but slipped into an unused classroom instead.

Taking out her wand, she pointed it at the door. She heard a soft click as it locked. She turned and leaned her back against the door, closing her eyes. She took a deep, shuddering breath, and as she did so, she breathed in the sweet scent of Hermione still lingering on her. Her legs wobbled slightly as she felt a small throbbing between them. She felt so turned on at the moment, she could hardly stand. What was more, she knew exactly who she was turned on for, and she didn't care.

She looked around the room hurriedly. She needed to get this out of her system before rejoining Hermione, but she only had a few minutes. There was a long teacher's desk sitting at the front of the classroom. A patch of bright sunlight illuminated its surface. It would have to do. She jogged to it, her ginger hair flowing behind her as she weaved around the upturned desks and chairs.

When she reached it, she threw her bag down next to the desk. She pulled her school robes over her head, bunching them up at the end of the desk before climbing up onto the hard wood and resting her head upon her robes. A cloud of dust flew into the air as she positioned herself, lying on her back. The flat surface of the desk was uncomfortable, but again, she didn't care.

She immediately began to knead her breasts through her thin shirt, pressing hard against them with the palms of her hands. After a few seconds, she reached down and began to clumsily undo the buttons on her shirt. It was painfully slow and each time she fumbled, she swore under her breath. Finally, she reached her neck and undid the last button, pulling her shirt open and exposing her bare chest. Her red and gold tie rested between her breasts.

She grabbed at them, tweaking and pulling. She let out a sigh of relief as though she had just surfaced from a long dive.

She lay there for a moment, enjoying the sensations she was giving herself before sliding her hand down her chest and under her skirt. She let out a moan. In her mind's eye she saw Hermione, climbing onto the desk and sitting on top of her. She gave a soft coo and began to rock and grind against the hand rubbing between her legs. While her left hand dug, she lifted her other hand and licked her fingers, wetting them before continuing her assault on her breasts.

She lay there for a minute, rubbing and grinding, licking and pinching, all the while her heartbeat quickened, and her moans and squeaks became louder and more frequent. A bright red flush rose in her cheeks as heat spread steadily across her body. She could still smell Hermione's hair on her from before. It sent a wave of excitement through her body, causing her knees to buckle together and her toes to curl.

She suddenly desired more direct contact. She pulled her left hand out from under her skirt and slid it under her panties. Her head leaned back in a loud moan as her fingers slid around her wet, warm flesh. She had to stifle a yell as pleasure shot through her, fogging her brain and causing her to convulse.

Her hips rose off the desk as a wave of pleasure swam over her. She continued feverishly, not wanting to stop, even as her pleasure began to fade. As her orgasm slowed, she continued to grind and rub. After a few seconds, she felt her pleasure build up inside her a second time.

Her excitement mounting, she inserted a finger inside of her and began to pump. She felt her pleasure peak again as her second wave hit her. She brought her legs together as her walls clamped around her fingers. Fluids gushed past them again as she shuddered, her eyes closed tight.

She rolled onto her side and curled into the fetal position, shaking as her orgasm passed. A mischievous smile spread across her lips as she pulled her fingers from between her legs. She put her fingers to her lips and sucked at them, lying in her afterglow. She lay there for a minute, enjoying her taste, giggling and smiling to herself.

She lifted her left hand, which was still glistening with a mixture of saliva and pleasure, and checked her watch.

She had been in the classroom for nearly fifteen minutes.

She jumped up as though she had received an electric shock and hurriedly performed the same cleaning spell she had used last night on herself, her clothes and the desk so as not to leave any trace of her misdeeds. She got dressed at top speed, grabbed her bag, and wound her way back through the desks and out into the corridor.

She pulled her hair behind her ears before entering Griffindor tower and went to apologize to Hermione for taking so long in the bathroom.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

* * *

Over the course of the next month Ginny masturbated probably more frequently than she had ever masturbated in her life. At least once everyday she ran off to a quiet part of the school to relieve herself whenever she got too hot and bothered about Hermione, or when she just needed to calm down. For she, along with all the other fifth and seventh years, was beginning to feel the strain of increased work load. She had also been named Quidditch captain, so she had to oversee practices several times a week.

As her homework mounted and practices filled her schedule, she felt she was being denied sessions that would have undoubtedly helped lower her stress levels. She also felt she was being denied precious time spent with Hermione, although she was admittedly avoiding her more than she would have if she hadn't developed such an awkward but strong sexual attraction to her.

However, during the times when Hermione was not physically present, she was certainly on Ginny's mind. Whenever she squeezed her breasts, she imagined Hermione playing with them. Whenever she rocked her hips into her hands, she felt Hermione's fingers inside her. Whenever she climaxed, she saw Hermione's face, either smiling down at her with lust fogging her eyes, or lit up in ecstasy as they orgasmed together.

Even with her increased workload, she still managed to escape just long enough to give herself an orgasm in just about every part of the castle.

She had masturbated on top of the Astronomy tower, where the wind had blown cool air on her hot and sweaty skin, causing her to erupt in goosebumps. She had laid in hidden passages, where darkness enveloped her and her body shook against the cold stone. She had been on the grounds, lying under a tree by the lake, her toes making ripples in the water as they curled and shook. Whenever she felt particularly voyeuristic, she put a slight vibration charm on her broomstick that distracted her sometimes from Quidditch practice.

She even went out after dark for several sleep-deprived nights. She wandered the dark and deserted corridors, finding new unused classrooms. The thrill of breaking school rules excited her, magnifying the pleasure she felt. She often fantasized about coming here to work on homework with Hermione. Their study sessions would always turn into heated make out sessions, culminating in the two of them locked together, Hermione pleasuring her until she came.

She was never caught, even though she made a lot of noise when she got over excited. This was because Harry had given her the Marauders Map before the school year, thinking her need for it was greater than his.

 _Well_ , she thought, a mischievous grin spreading across her face every time she got settled in for a long session and saw that her floor was completely deserted, _h_ _e had certainly been right_.

She had also become an accomplished castor of the disillusionment charm, hiding herself and her possessions whenever she saw someone approaching on the map. Some of the staff, mostly the caretaker, Filch, had walked in on her several times as she lay invisible, having just seen them approaching on the map. She often didn't have enough time to do more than cast the spell on herself before the door opened. This led to them looking around the room as she stared silently at them, her legs spread, feeling but not seeing the fluids trickle down her, coating her invisible fingers as she tried not to move. She usually cleaned up and left after these encounters, as the caretaker's face was guaranteed to turn her off faster than anything in the school.

And of course, if she had been too busy to get away during the day or night, she lay in her bed, listening to Hermione's slow breathing in the bed next to her. Sometimes she simply fell asleep to the relaxing sound, but most of the time she masturbated to it, letting out soft, ragged breaths every few seconds and trying not to creak the bed too much upon climaxing.

Hermione often lay awake, reading for an hour or two by wand light, lying on her chest and pouring over a book. On these occasions, Ginny had turned on her side and watched her through half closed eyes, studying the smooth and enticing contours of her face and the curve of her back, gently touching herself under the covers.

* * *

The first Quidditch match of the season was approaching: Gryffindor vs Slytherin. Even though she preferred scoring goals to catching the Snitch, Ginny was to play Seeker. Hardly anyone had tried out for the post, and those that did were rather poor at it. She already had a queue of several promising Chasers, so she had made herself Seeker for the good of the team.

As the match grew steadily nearer, Ginny's time spent masturbating was diminished greatly. As much as she loved planning secret getaways to play with herself to her heart's content, she still cared very much about Quidditch. She therefore decided to dedicate more of her time to serious practice by removing the vibration charm on her broomstick and scheduling practices almost nightly. She wanted to win against Slytherin, this was her first match as captain, but she also felt if they won, she and Hermione might be able to enjoy the celebrations together. The thought made her stomach lurch with excitement, stiffening her resolve to beat Slytherin.

In the days leading up to the match, Ginny barely masturbated at all. She didn't have time during the day and each night she went to bed too tired to do more than fiddle sleepily with her breasts. Even though her sexual frustration was rising, she was able to distract herself by attacking her mountain of homework, working well into the night with Hermione's help. She sometimes caught herself looking at Hermione instead of her books, but was able to stay focused for the most part.

The morning of the match finally came. Ginny woke up early, not feeling tired at all, and moved to the window. She felt almost as nervous as she had on her first Quidditch match in her fourth year.

The sun had just started to rise, painting the patchy clouds pink and gold. The tops of the trees in the forest were still and the grounds were silent. It looked like a perfect day for flying. She leaned on the window sill, taking in the scenery and trying to figure out conditions for the match, when she heard someone stir behind her.

She turned to find Hermione sitting up in her bed, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Mo...morning," she yawned, pulling her sheets back. Ginny was pleased to see she was wearing nothing but her panties and a loose bra. "What are you doing up so early?"

"Oh just nervous, I guess," said Ginny quietly. "I was just check... checking out..."

Her voice faltered as Hermione bent forward in her direction, reaching in her bag. As she did so, Ginny was given a perfect view of her cleavage. As she rummaged through her bag, one of the bra strips slipped down her shoulder and onto her arm, revealing one of her nipples. Ginny felt as if she had been punched in the stomach.

Her face reddened as Hermione stood up, holding a pair of jeans. She seemed too sleepy to have noticed anything.

"What were you saying?" She asked, her breast still exposed. Then, seeing the look on Ginny's face, "What's wrong?"

Ginny didn't say anything, but looked down at Hermione's chest in answer.

Hermione looked down and gave a soft "shit" of surprise before turning away hastily.

Ginny let out a snort of nervous laughter. She still felt hot in the face and a little turned on, but Hermione's reaction had caught her off guard.

She stood there, covering her grin as she watched Hermione pull her bra back over her shoulder and turn back to her, blushing.

They looked at each other for a few seconds, then burst out laughing.

There came a groan from the other side of the room as the other girls in the dormitory stirred. Hermione and Ginny stifled their laughter and went about getting dressed. Ginny felt lighter somehow, like a weight had been lifted from her. The awkwardness that she had felt towards Hermione for the last month seemed to have fallen away. She smiled to herself as she pulled on her shirt.

They walked down to the breakfast together, talking and joking. It felt good to talk freely with Hermione, as if nothing had changed between them. Well, nothing had changed for Hermione, at least.

As the Great Hall filled with more and more students, Ginny and Hermione chatted and ate, ignoring the boos and jeers from the Slytherins and joining in with the majority of the students and cheering as each member of Ginny's team joined the table. After a while, she looked down at her watch.

"Nearly time." she said. She got her teammates attention and walked out of the Hall with Hermione.

She felt the tension return a little as they walked down to the pitch together, closely followed by her teammates. As they reached the changing rooms, Hermione pulled her to the side. She waited for the team to pass them into the changing rooms. Ginny's heart began beating a little faster. What did Hermione want? Had she noticed her change in behavior over the last month? Had she realized Ginny had been going out at night? Was she mad at her for not saying something to her?

Once they were alone however, Hermione pulled her into a tight hug. Ginny felt the familiar swooping sensation in her stomach as she returned the hug gratefully. She breathed deeply, her mind going numb as the smell of honeysuckle enveloped her. She felt like this was probably the best gift she could have been given to help calm her nerves.

"Good luck," Hermione whispered in her ear. She tried not to shudder as her ear tingled from Hermione's breath. She released Ginny and, waving over her shoulder, ran off to join the crowd now thronging the entrance to the stands.

The day seemed to have become suddenly brighter. Ginny stood for a minute, her ear still tingling, then turned and walked into the changing rooms, a slight bounce in her step.

A few minutes later, she and her team walked onto the pitch to deafening cheers and boos. Most of the students were wearing red and gold, while the rest wore green and silver. Ginny felt an odd mixture of excitement and pride. Even after half the school had been blown apart during the battle and so many people had died, they were still having Quidditch. Some things just couldn't be changed.

"Captains, shake hands!" shouted the referee, madame Hooch.

Ginny stepped forward and shook hands with the Slytherin captain, Harper. They glowered at each other, both determined not to show any signs of pain as they did their best to crush each other's hands.

"Mount your brooms!"

At the sound of madam Hooch's whistle, Ginny kicked off with the rest of her team, soaring upward. She leveled out high over the stadium and began to scan the pitch for the Snitch immediately.

Suddenly, and without any warning, her broomstick began to vibrate.

She let out a gasp, gripping the handle of her broom tightly as she clamped her thighs together. She felt an electric jolt shoot through her body. She instinctively tried to lift her hips off the broom, but she obviously had no solid foothold to change her position.

"Oh _fuck_ ," she moaned as her broomstick pulsed through her pants, tickling her groin.

Why did it have to activate now? Maybe she had charmed it on and off too many times, and now...

Her broom gave a sudden throb under her and her whole body shuddered. She moaned and slid her hips up the wood without thinking, grinding into it. She felt her panties become wet as her stomach lurched.

Her face was burning now. She turned and began to fly around the stadium so as to not draw attention to herself. The vibrations were sending a steady and unrelenting flow of pleasure to her brain, distracting her from the game.

Her mind grappled with options. She couldn't reverse the charm, she had left her wand with her clothes down in the changing room. She couldn't call a timeout, that would draw attention to her predicament, which would be mortifying. She tried to ignore the vibrations between her legs and the wetness it was causing, but it was impossible. She knew from experience that if she didn't take the charm off, she would eventually orgasm.

A Bludger came hurtling out of nowhere. It passed so close to her head that it flicked her hair back as she swerved to avoid it. The resulting throb of pleasure from her sudden change of direction coupled with the rush of adrenaline from the Bludger caused her to cry out. She had to focus.

She decided to simply let the pleasure wash over her, as she had done in the past when she had used the charm. She had been able to fly well enough on those occasions, bringing herself to her climax without any of her teammates noticing. She soared around the stadium, trying her best to enjoy the sensations.

But hiding her pleasure during a casual practice with six preoccupied people was quite a different feat than hiding her pleasure while avoiding two Bludgers, dodging thirteen players and searching for the Snitch, all the while being closely watched by the whole school. Even though it didn't seem like anyone had noticed, she felt more embarrassed now than she had ever been in her life. This was not a pleasure flight, she was not having fun, and she couldn't escape.

Despite her discomfort, a warm pressure was building up in her core. Her panties were sopping wet and her breathing had become labored. Her face felt hot and she resisted the urge to grab her breasts, which had started to tingle from lack of attention. She was now grinding against the shaking wood without any control of her actions. Her broomstick gave another particularly strong throb under her and she shuddered to a stop, feeling pleasure trickle down her thighs.

As she hovered there, trying to collect herself, she felt something brush her ear and heard a loud fluttering of wings. She twisted around.

The Snitch had darted past her head and was quickly flying away.

She leaned forward on her broom, shooting towards the golden ball. However, as she did so, she unwittingly pressed her clit against the vibrating wood. Shocks of pleasure shot up her body, stiffening her legs. She slowed down as she leaned back, removing her clit from the broom. But the lingering sting of the Snitch's wings on her ear had reminded her of Hermione, and she had a sudden inspiration.

She looked around. Harper had seen the Snitch as well. Her moment of hesitation had allowed him to gain on it. He was now tailing the golden ball as it darted around the base of the goalposts.

She leaned forward, pressing her body once again to the broom. She felt the thrill of pleasure course through her, but she thought of Hermione. She imagined her hands at her core, rubbing her clit vigorously, a look of mischievous excitement on her face. She pressed harder, feeling her discomfort leave her, pleasure replacing it. Her moans were lost in the wind as she shot towards the Snitch.

Her legs tightened around the broom, pressing it up against her as hard as she could. She began to grind her hips up and down the broom as it continued to vibrate and throb. She breathed heavily, letting out ragged moans as her excitement mounted and her hair whipped behind her. Hermione was rhythmically rubbing her fingers against her pussy, entering her with slick fingers, still flicking her clit with dizzying speed. She was pumping her hand against Ginny, her fingers deep inside her. Ginny was gaining on Harper as they chased the Snitch down the pitch. She was neck and neck with him.

And then she felt herself climax. She felt the pressure that had built up inside her let loose as fluids gushed from her, soaking through her vibrating panties. She instinctively leaned forward so that her one of her breasts was pressed hard against the throbbing broomstick along with the rest of her body.

Her change of position caused her to shoot ahead of Harper, and she swiped at the air wildly, grasping the tiny ball between her fingers.

A huge feeling of blissful satisfaction flooded her mind as she shot upwards, holding her fist aloft. She continued to literally ride out her orgasm as the stadium erupted. Her team flew to her, and as they collided in a midair hug, the vibration of her broom slowed to a stop.

She smiled at her team, half in celebration, half still because of the lingering feeling of sexual release.

 _That had to be the worst time imaginable to masturbate,_ she thought as she and her team drifted to the ground still hugging and shouting, _but also the most perfectly timed orgasm ever._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

* * *

Back in the changing rooms, the atmosphere was jubilant. As it turned out, they had won by a margin of 220 points, giving them a considerable lead early in the season. Ginny had been too preoccupied during the match to pay any attention to the commentary. She beamed around at her celebrating team with pride before heading into the girls changing room with the other girls. They talked and laughed as they pulled off their Quidditch robes.

Ginny lolled behind, deliberately taking her time removing her gloves. She was soaking wet, and tried to look as natural as she could. Finally, she heard them leave behind her, closing the door.

She stripped off as quickly as she could. When she removed her pants, she paused, reaching down to touch her panties. They were completely soaked through. The inside of her thighs were wet from the pleasure that had trickled down. She separated her legs, watching as a few thin ropes of fluid stretched between them. She slid her fingers up and down her panties, letting out a soft sigh. She shuddered and brought her hand up to her lips, grinning slightly as she sucked the tips of her fingers.

A sudden noise behind her made her jump. She turned just in time to see a mane of bushy brown hair as Hermione ran to her, hugging Ginny for the second time.

Ginny stiffened, her heart jumping into her throat as she flushed with embarrassment. She simply stood there in her drenched panties, pleasure still rolling gently down her legs as Hermione embraced her.

"You were brilliant, Ginny! You could give Harry a run for his money!" she said, releasing her and stepping back. Ginny resisted the urge to look down to see if any of her wetness had come off on Hermione's robes.

"Yeah, I... thanks," she managed to say. She willed Hermione not to look down at her wet panties as she felt her pussy give a tired throb. She started to sweat, feeling weak at the knees.

Hermione's smile faltered.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "I don't have another boob hanging out, do I?" she said, her grin returning.

"Oh, uh, no," she said, waving a hand and trying to grin back. "It's nothing, I just..."

She was saved the necessity of coming up with an excuse by the arrival of one of her Chasers in the doorway.

"Come on Ginny! Party up in the common room!" she called, darting back out to join everyone else.

Ginny turned around, hastily hiding her front from Hermione. Under the pretense of searching for clothes, she bent, praying her wetness hadn't spread behind her, and began to pull out clothes from her bag.

"You go on, I've got to change. I'll see you up there!" She said, turning her head to smile at Hermione, hoping the finality in her voice would persuade her to leave.

To her immense relief, Hermione smiled back and walked out of the changing room.

Ginny let out a long shuddering breath. She wiped her hand on her slightly sweaty forehead. She bent over and pulled her panties down, sliding them along her wet legs.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," came Hermione's voice from the doorway.

Ginny stumbled and fell forward into the lockers with a crash. She frantically yanked her panties up over herself and turned, her face burning.

Hermione let out a quickly stifled giggle and shut her eyes before saying, "I think I'll stop by the kitchens to get some food and drinks for the party, so I'll catch up with you a later." She left the room, smiling.

Ginny waited a moment, then walked to the door. She closed it and let out a shaky breath, feeling her heart continue to throb in her chest. Once she had calmed down, she walked back to her bag.

* * *

Ginny arrived in the common room several minutes later to find it in full swing. As she climbed through the portrait hole, the people nearest it cheered and applauded her. She grinned at everyone and slid through the crowd of people.

She chatted and joked with her friends and teammates for about ten minutes before Hermione finally came through the portrait hole, carrying her beaded bag. She looked around and, after locating Ginny, made her way through the crowd to her.

"Ok, I got Butterbeer, Pumpkin Juice, Cauldron cakes, a few things from Honeydukes. I know how much you love their chocolates, so I got a lot..."

She pulled bottles and variously wrapped candies and food from the depths of her bag, passing them around slowly. As the people nearest them realized food had arrived they started to swarm around Hermione, jostling her. Ginny got to her feet, but Hermione seemed to give up on pulling things out manually and pointed her wand into her bag. Everything she had picked up in the kitchens came flying out and landed on a nearby table. The crowd around her moved off and she sat down next to Ginny, passing her a Butterbeer and opening her own.

The party lasted all day. Ginny and Hermione stayed together for the majority of its duration, enjoying each other's company. Hermione got into a long, heated tournament of Exploding Snap that took place in the middle of the common room. She wasn't amazing at it, but she managed to stay in for several rounds, her face glowing with color as the crowd cheered. Ginny was soon full to the bursting point from eating so many snacks and drinking so many Butterbeers. Several hours in, someone brought out a wireless and started to play music. Ginny danced with everybody else, bumping up against people until she found Hermione. They danced for a long while, laughing and giggling.

Dusk began to fall outside and the common room emptied slightly as a few people traipsed up to bed. Ginny was not remotely tired. Her head felt a little fuzzy from the bottles of Butterbeer she had drank over the last few hours, and she was still hopped up on sugar.

She felt a tap on the shoulder and turned to see Hermione beckoning her out of the dancing group of people. She followed behind her, sliding out of the crowd. Hermione put her hands on her knees, grinning at Ginny as she caught her breath.

"I feel a little dizzy," she gasped. "I don't think I can dance anymore."

"Yeah?" said Ginny, patting her on her back. "What, used to reading during parties?"

"Oh, ha ha," said Hermione, brushing her hair out of her face. "I can enjoy myself, I'm just worn out."

They stood for a moment, watching the people around them. Both their faces had a rosy flush growing high on their cheeks.

"God I'm thirsty," said Ginny, looking around.

"Want to grab a Butterbeer?"

Ginny laughed. "I've probably had more Butterbeer tonight than anyone in here. Nah, I'd love something different."

Hermione's face lit up in a grin as she grabbed Ginny's hand.

"Here, come with me," she said.

For one heart stopping moment, Ginny thought she was going to lead her up to their dormitory. She imagined Hermione locking the door, pushing Ginny's head between her legs and begging her to drink her sweet pleasure. Then she saw that Hermione was pulling her to the portrait hole. She let out a sigh and felt herself blush a little.

As they climbed out of the portrait hole, they heard a slow song start up behind them. Some people darted out of the crowd looking scared, but more joined in, grabbing a partner and swaying on the spot.

"Aww, I'd have liked to dance to that," moaned Hermione as they closed the portrait behind them.

"Really? But you wouldn't have a partner."

Hermione turned to her, her eyebrows raised. "Yes I would, I have you."

Ginny's heart skipped a beat as she looked at Hermione. They stood for a second, both blushing a little.

"Really? But... I'm a girl," said Ginny. She mentally punched herself. _Shut up_ , she thought angrily, s _he offers to slow dance with you and you question it_?

"So?" asked Hermione. "Who else would I dance with?"

Ginny had no reply. She was still blushing, half flattered, half aroused.

"Here, follow me," Hermione said again, and she took off down the corridor.

"Where are we going?" Ginny asked, keeping up with her. It was already dark out and if they were caught, they would be in detention. It was most unlike Hermione to suggest they break school rules, but Ginny wasn't complaining.

"You'll see," Hermione whispered as she peered around the corner.

"Here, we can use this," said Ginny. She rummaged in the pocket of her robes and pulled out the Marauders Map. She handed it to Hermione, who stared at it.

"Where did you—"

"Harry gave it to me. Said I'd get more use out of it."

Hermione beamed and, tapping the map, muttered, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

She peered down at the dots moving around the school for a moment before motioning to Ginny. They took off down the corridor, making as little noise as possible. As they ran, Ginny watched Hermione. Her brown curls bounced and fluttered behind her, shimmering softly whenever they passed a torch. She looked down at her hips, mesmerized. They swayed with every step, drawing her gaze. She felt herself getting hot in the face, but kept her eyes fixed on Hermione as they ran.

They went down several floors, stopping every now and then for Hermione to check the map. They met nobody on their way and got to the entrance hall within minutes.

Ginny had no idea where Hermione was taking her, but she didn't care as long as they were doing whatever they were doing together. However, as Hermione turned down a corridor next to the Great Hall, Ginny began to realize where they were headed. Sure enough, when they had gone halfway down the corridor, Hermione came to a stop in front of a large portrait of a bowl of fruit.

She tickled a pear which giggled and turned into a door knob. Ginny climbed in after Hermione and found herself standing in the kitchens. It was a large room proportioned exactly like the Hall above it, and was full of gleaming pots and plates. At once, a few house-elves came bustling over to them, carrying a bottle and some glasses.

"Well," said Hermione motioning to the small creatures. "You said you wanted something different. When I came up here and asked for some drinks, they offered me this, but I said to hold on to it in case I came back. I didn't feel it would be right to let all the younger kids get their hands on it."

It was a large bottle of Firewhisky. Ginny beamed at Hermione.

"You sneaky little... You got this for me? What's gotten into you?" She smiled widely at Hermione in surprise.

"Well," she said, looking bashful, but pleased with herself. "Not just you, I... I thought some of the seventh years might like some."

"Bullshit, you're trying to hit on me!" she laughed, punching Hermione on the arm.

"I am not! I just thought you might like... I mean, you did ask for something different to drink, and I remembered they had some, so I thought—"

Ginny interrupted her by giving a swift hug.

"Thank you." she said. She held her for a moment, enjoying the physical contact before she pulled away.

She reached down and took the large bottle of orangeish liquid and two glasses. They thanked the house-elves and left the kitchen.

"Alright, let's head back," said Ginny.

"No, wait," said Hermione grabbing Ginny's arm. "We can't drink this in the common room, the, uhh, the others would hog it all. Let's go somewhere private. We can try a glass or two first and then head up."

Ginny could tell this wasn't the real reason why she wanted to drink away from the common room. She knew perfectly well that Hermione could hide the bottle in her bag. Maybe she was scared of how she would act under its influence, and she trusted Ginny to keep an eye on her? She raised no objections. The prospect of drinking alone with Hermione in an unused classroom at night was so deeply tempting.

"Ok, lets head up a few floors, there's a nice unused classroom on the fourth floor. It's really secluded, no goes in there."

She had spoken without thinking. That was one of the best classrooms she had found to go masturbating in. It was far enough from any of the teacher's offices that she had been able to moan out loud without fear of being heard. No one had yet to disturb her when she was there, and it was probably the classroom she spent most of her time in, closely followed by the Room of Requirement.

She preferred the classroom to the Room of Requirement because it somehow felt like cheating to use a hidden, magically sealed room that could instantly provide her with everything to satisfy her sexual needs. It was good for a quick getaway, but she preferred the classroom for long nighttime sessions. She enjoyed masturbating in a regular room with regular objects when anyone could walk in at any time. The risk was what made it fun for her.

"How do you know that?" asked Hermione as she followed Ginny up the stairs.

Ginny mentally punched herself again. She couldn't think of a suitable answer and therefore decided to answer with a question.

"Don't you know about it? It's the big one along the corridor lined with suits of armor."

"Oh, yeah," said Hermione thoughtfully. "I think we used that one when Harry was training for the Triwizard Tournament."

Ginny breathed out in relief, checking the map as they crept up the marble staircase again. A few minutes later, they arrived in the corridor lined with suits of armor. Ginny lead the way to the door and creaked it open, stuffing the Marauders Map into her pocket. Hermione rushed inside and Ginny closed the door behind her with a click.

She turned and looked around the familiar room. It was slightly different than when she had first discovered it. Most of the tables and desks had been pushed up against the walls, but she had slid some out to lie on. The far wall was lined with tall, thin windows that stretched to the ceiling. Their long velvet curtains were bunched together in a huge pile on the floor with a Ginny shaped depression in it. In both corners on the far side of the room were two spiral staircases, the thin handrails of which were gleaming slightly, cleaner and smoother than they had been before she had arrived. They led up to a second floor which stretched over most of the back of the classroom, leaving an opening in the front of the the room to look down. Ginny had been up there many times and knew that it was cluttered with bookcases and large puffy chairs and sofas that she had gotten to know intimately.

She followed Hermione over to one of the desks and set the glasses down on its surface. She uncorked the bottle and poured both of them a generous measure of Firewhisky.

"Cheers," said Ginny, lifting her glass to Hermione. They grinned mischievously at each other, then downed their glasses. Ginny felt the drink burn in her throat, warming her whole body.

She poured herself another glass, this time savoring it slowly. She could feel the warm feeling in her brain from the Butterbeer return. She giggled and Hermione giggled back.

"It's good, right?" said Hermione, picking up the bottle and filling her glass again.

"Yeah, it really hits the spot. I still say you're trying to hit on me, though."

Hermione grinned and bumped her hips against Ginny clumsily, dripping a bit of the Firewhisky on her hand. She leaned in and began to slurp it up, giggling as Ginny burst out laughing.

They got through several more glasses. Ginny's brain was feeling comfortably warm and muffled and her fingers had begun to tingle. They talked and giggled and drank, becoming a little more tipsy with every gulp. Ginny noticed that Hermione was downing a lot more than she was. Her face was a fiery shade of red.

"God, I feel even more dizzy than before," said Hermione, slopping a bit of her drink as she took another gulp. It trickled down her neck, causing her giggle. She wiped it off with her free hand.

"I guess we should start to head back..." said Ginny, vaguely. It was very dark out now. The windows along the opposite wall were their only source of light in the classroom, bathing them in soft moonlight.

She corked the large bottle and stowed it in Hermione's bag. She turned, swaying a bit and made to walk to the door, but Hermione placed her hand on Ginny's arm, holding her back.

"Wait, I don't want to leave yet. I like being with you."

She suddenly and unexpectedly let loose a loud belch. She clapped her hands to her mouth, her eyes wide. They stood for a split second, then broke into peels of raucous laughter. The sound reverberated around the classroom slightly as they held each other, laughing for a long while. It took them several minutes to calm down.

They hiccuped themselves into silent giggles. Ginny looked into Hermione's uplifted face. She looked even prettier up close. Her face was redder than usual and her brown eyes focused on Ginny's with some difficulty.

"Do you want to dance?" asked Hermione in a slightly slurred voice, hiccuping a little.

"Wha...what?" Ginny stammered.

"Do you want to dance, with me?"

Ginny gulped. Her brain felt torpid and slow, but she didn't feel as awkward as she normally would have. The Firewhisky was somehow making her feel braver, filling her up with confidence.

"Sure, let's do it," she whispered.

Hermione smiled lazily and wrapped her arms around Ginny's neck, resting her bushy head on her shoulder. Ginny hesitated for a fraction of a second before placing her arms around her waist. They revolved slowly on the spot, swaying a little. Every few seconds Hermione hiccuped, causing their bodies to bump together slightly

Ginny's mouth was dry. She felt the heat rising in her as she held Hermione. She took a deep breath and inhaled the sweet scent of Hermione's hair. The smell of honeysuckle and books filled her brain, fogging it even more.

"Your heart's really loud." She felt her shoulder vibrate gently as Hermione spoke into it, her voice a little muffled. "I can feel it."

She pressed her ear against Ginny's chest, shifting her arms on Ginny's neck. Ginny's heart banged against the inside of her ribs.

They continued to revolve, Ginny's mind racing almost as fast as her heart. She took another deep, calming breath and got lost in Hermione's scent again.

Without meaning to, she lifted her hand to stroke Hermione's bushy hair. She slid her hands through it, scratching the back of her head and feeling Hermione sigh against her shoulder.

"Mmmh... that feels good," she murmured, hiccuping again.

Ginny rubbed her hands down Hermione's back, kneading and sliding across her shirt. Hermione moaned gently, her face still pressed against Ginny's chest.

"That feels really, really good... please don't stop."

Ginny's hands wandered lower and lower, reaching the small of Hermione's back. Hermione pressed her waist into Ginny a little. She was letting out soft coos every few seconds as Ginny massaged her.

Her fingers brushed the bit of exposed skin above Hermione's pants. She waited for Hermione to object, lightly rubbing her slightly sweaty skin with the tips of her fingers, but Hermione merely continued to sigh into her.

Ginny's throat felt constricted. It would be insane to continue, to do the thing she was so tempted to do. But the Firewhisky egged her on, and she felt her inhibitions fade away, replaced by a hopeful, excited recklessness. Very slowly, carefully, she began to slide her fingers under Hermione's shirt. Hermione moaned again, hugging Ginny closer. Ginny felt the shirt rise with her hands as she inched up Hermione's back, rubbing and kneading.

"... higher..." Hermione whispered.

Ginny froze, her hands just under the lip of Hermione's shirt. Her cheeks felt hot and her brain warm. Had she heard her correctly?

Hermione groaned slightly.

"Please?" she asked hopefully.

She looked up at Ginny, her eyes half closed. They looked at each other, no longer swaying. Ginny looked from Hermione's eyes down to her lips, breathing fast.

Hermione closed her eyes, leaning forward. Ginny's mind screamed as the distance between them closed. An electric current swept through her, jangling her every nerve.

Their lips met, and Ginny's mind went totally blank. Hermione kissed her gently, chastely, curiously. Ginny recovered slowly from her shock and, after a minute, she kissed back slowly, pressing her tongue against her lips. Hermione opened her mouth lazily and Ginny pressed forward and found her tongue.

Ginny took it between her lips and sucked, licking its tip from inside her mouth. Hermione hiccuped again. The sound was so adorable that Ginny felt herself melt. She pushed her tongue past Hermione's lips and explored her mouth again, licking everything she could reach.

As she did so, she resumed massaging Hermione's back, rubbing harder and pulling the back of her shirt up her ribs. Hermione moaned loudly and pressed her chest against Ginny.

She reached the strap of Hermione's bra and worked at it clumsily, her tongue still inside Hermione's mouth. It took her a moment, but she soon undid it. She leaned back, breaking the kiss as she pulled Hermione's shirt up. Hermione panted for breath and fumbled with her shirt as it got caught over her face. Ginny helped her, yanking the shirt off and throwing it aside. She reached up and pulled the loose bra away, exposing Hermione's chest.

She stared, salivating a little. Hermione's breasts looked exactly as she remembered them. They were slightly bigger than hers, with nipples that resembled little top hats. Hermione kept her eyes on Ginny, waiting for the latter's reaction. After a second, Ginny looked up.

"Can I...?" she asked, her breath shaky from anticipation.

Hermione nodded slowly, looking redder than ever.

Ginny lifted a trembling hand and cupped one of her breasts. It felt soft and smooth. She squeezed it tenderly, watching the skin bend like a warm pillow. Hermione closed her eyes, biting her lip and swaying where she stood. Ginny lifted her other hand and began to play with Hermione's boobs. She lifted them, pressed them together, and caressed the skin, running her fingers in circles. After a minute of entertaining herself, she moved to the nipples. Hermione let out a soft breath as Ginny timidly felt her areolas, drawing slow circles around the delicate flesh. Then she pinched the nipples between her fingers, feeling how hard they had become, watching Hermione's face as she gasped. She pressed her chest forward into Ginny's hands.

Hermione lifted her arms and shakily took hold of Ginny's cheeks, clumsily pulling her face to hers. Their lips met again and their tongues battled for dominance. Hermione kept her chest back, leaving Ginny enough space to tweak and play with her breasts. Every time she pinched a nipple, Hermione moaned into Ginny's mouth and thrust her chest forward.

Ginny's core was on fire. She pushed Hermione back against one of the desks that she had so often masturbated on. Hermione climbed up to sit on it, knocking a few of the glasses over and keeping their lips firmly locked together. Ginny's fingers pulled excitedly at Hermione's shorts, getting stuck on her hips. Hermione lifted herself an inch off the desk as Ginny yanked them off her legs.

Hermione kept her legs shyly clamped together. She was wearing a pair of white panties with tiny blue flowers. Ginny's mouth watered as she looked at the dark wet spot that had grown in its center. She stared at it, her heart twanging in her throat and her core throbbing with desire. Her knees buckled a little as she felt a trickle of fluid wet her own panties. She looked up at Hermione, her face shining with excitement and lust.

She pulled Hermione's face down to hers and kissed her furiously. Hermione made no attempt to fight as Ginny's tongue filled her mouth. Ginny lowered her right hand and slid it up and down Hermione's legs, wrapping around to squeeze her butt. Hermione lifted her legs up, keeping her knees locked together, and settled her feet on the edge of the desk. Ginny's fingers slid around to the underside of her thigh, going down and tickling her curled toes. She felt her tongue vibrate inside Hermione's mouth as the latter gave a laugh that instantly turned to a moan as Ginny pressed her fingers against the inside of Hermione's thighs. Her fingers grazed the panties between her clamped legs.

Hermione bit Ginny's lower lip as a shudder ran up her body. Her knees separated and she spread her legs to Ginny. She tried to scoot forward and press herself against the hand sliding around her wet spot, but Ginny pushed her back. Hermione leaned back and lay across the desk, her bushy hair cushioning her head. Her breasts fell to her sides slightly, her nipples pointing up, reflecting the pale moonlight.

Ginny reached up with her left hand and grabbed Hermione's breast, tweaking and pinching her nipples. Hermione's back lifted slightly as she looked down between her them at Ginny. She had begun to pant now, her breasts rising and falling rapidly. Ginny pressed down harder on Hermione's nipples and she tilted her head back with a moan.

Keeping her left hand on Hermione's breasts, Ginny turned her concentration to her other hand, now trailing lightly around Hermione's panties. The wet spot had grown larger by now. Without preamble, Ginny pressed her fingers to Hermione's center.

Hermione gasped and her hips bucked upward so that they left the table for a moment. Her legs slid off the table and she wrapped them around Ginny's body, pulling her closer. Ginny rubbed harder, feeling Hermione through the fabric. She felt warm fluid drip into the cotton, coating her fingers. Her face flushed with excitement. She rubbed harder into the panties and heard Hermione moan.

"Fuh...hah...Ginny..." Hermione panted between breaths.

She grinded against Ginny's hand, her back arching up and down, trying to increase the friction between them.

Ginny removed her hands from Hermione, who groaned.

"Wha?... Don't... don't stop..." she panted weakly.

"I'm not," Ginny said with a wicked grin.

She slipped her hands under Hermione, hooking her fingers under the back of her panties. She pulled them partially up Hermione's spread legs so that it stretched between the two of them. Hermione shuddered as Ginny looked down past the damp fabric at her. She was sopping wet, fluid covering her and dripping down between her legs. Ginny stared, paralyzed.

But Hermione was growing impatient. She pulled at Ginny with her legs, scooting her hips forward, moaning with anticipation. Ginny complied, bending under the panties and getting to her knees. She placed her hands on either side of Hermione's hips and looked up between her breasts at Hermione's sweaty face. She took a deep breath, breathing in Hermione's scent, and leaned forward.

She pressed her lips to Hermione's core, roughly licking and sucking the slick flesh, tasting her for the first time. Hermione cried out. Ginny kept her eyes on her face as it contorted with pleasure. Her head tilted back onto the wood and she let out a string of squeaky moans. She fumbled with her own breasts, hastily squeezing them and pinching them as Ginny had done. Her legs shook and clamped together, desperately pulling Ginny closer.

Ginny pressed her whole face into Hermione, sticking her tongue inside her and licking feverishly. She reached up with one hand and began to press her fingers against Hermione's clit.

Hermione's pleasure was reaching a peak. She was writhing and shaking uncontrollably, bucking her hips frantically into Ginny with increasing vigor. Ginny began to pinch and roll her clit between two fingers.

Hermione's chest arched off the desk as juices came squirting out of her. Ginny held her down with her other arm as her whole body shook. Hermione's legs clamped tight around Ginny's head, blocking out sound as she continued to eat her out, licking her up and down. She kept rubbing and pinching the hard nub between her fingers, helping extend her orgasm. Hermione shook and rocked her hips, shaking Ginny's head as well. Ginny could barely hear her moans with Hermione's legs blocking her ears.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Hermione's body fell back onto the desk, her breathing fast and her skin glistening with sweat. Her breasts rose and fell as she regained her breath. Pleasure continued to leak from her in small amounts as she breathed, her eyes closed. She looked completely exhausted.

But Ginny still felt wet and aroused. Her pleasure was still building up, slower than she would have liked because she had not touched herself. She had been banking on Hermione taking care of that.

"No, no, no, no, no," she muttered, disentangling herself from Hermione's legs and panties and getting to her feet.

She felt a fire between her legs as she frantically stripped off her clothes. She climbed up onto the desk in nothing but her panties. She straddled Hermione, lying flat on top of her. Their breasts pressed together and Ginny kissed her again, feeling her pleasure rise. She lightly bit her her lower lip and began to grind, her body rubbing up against Hermione's.

When Hermione didn't respond, she stopped, opening her eyes.

"Hermione? Are you ok?"

Hermione breathed slowly, her eyes closed. She had fallen asleep.

"God damn it, Hermione," she said. "Come on, wake up! You can't just leave me hanging like this!"

Hermione groaned and shifted in her sleep. She was completely passed out from drinking too much.

Ginny felt frustrated. She was hot and ready and her panties were already sopping with her wetness. She wanted Hermione to return the favor, to touch her, finger her, lick her, send her over the edge. She wanted Hermione to do all the things she had fantasized about.

As her impatience rose, she looked down at Hermione. She was breathing peacefully, her face relaxed. As she watched, Hermione gave another small hiccup.

Ginny felt herself deflate. She didn't want to take advantage of her when she wasn't conscious. Her pleasure was leaving her. She felt her core twinge with want as she looked over Hermione's naked form. Beads of sweat gleamed in the moonlight, covering Hermione's skin like dew. Her nipples were red from all the pinching and twisting. The space between her legs glistened, still wet with her pleasure and Ginny's saliva.

Ginny looked up at Hermione's face. She leaned in and kissed her lips gently for few minutes as the silence filled the room.

She pulled back, a string of saliva hanging from her lips. She wiped it with the back of her hand and as she did so, she brushed against her chin. She suddenly became aware that Hermione's pleasure was still covering the lower part of her face.

She slid her fingers over her cheeks and nose, collecting most of the fluids before putting her fingers in her mouth. She sucked on them, glorying in Hermione's taste. She climbed down from the desk and pulled her wand out of the pair of jeans that was lying on the floor. She began to cast the cleaning charm on everything that was wet, hesitating when she reached Hermione. Ginny knelt down and licked as much of the residue off her as she could. Hermione's hips shuddered as Ginny's tongue slid over her, but otherwise, she remained still.

Ginny got up, wiping her mouth and wearing a satisfied, mischievous smile. The realization of what she had done hit her. She had fucked Hermione Granger. No, she had made sweet, sweet love to Hermione Granger. She had pleasured her to the point of orgasm and put her to sleep. She didn't know whether or not that meant she was good at going down on her or if Hermione was just drunk. But she had done it!

She punched the air in triumph. She felt she could have run a mile, but her head was swimming. She was still quite drunk herself. Instead, she got dressed, pulling on her clean clothes and turning to Hermione. She pointed her wand at her and gave it a flick. At once, the residual pleasure between her legs vanished and her sweaty skin was wiped dry.

Ginny began to put Hermione's clothes back onto her body, struggling as she lifted her waist to pull her panties on. After a few minutes, she stood back, breathing heavily. They were back in the clothes that they had worn to the party an eternity ago. They only thing left lying around was the beaded bag.

Ginny stooped and picked it up. Stuffing it down Hermione's shorts pocket, she pulled her into a sitting position. She ran in front of her and turned, pulling Hermione's hands up over her shoulders. She leaned forward, tugging Hermione unsteadily onto her back.

Hermione's head lolled on Ginny's shoulder again and she grinned.

"Come on, let's get out of here." she whispered.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

* * *

Ginny walked laboriously over to the exit, carrying Hermione on her back. She was heavy and difficult to maneuver through the door.

"Come on..." groaned Ginny, panting slightly as she hoisted Hermione higher up her back. "We got three floors... just three floors..."

Hermione hiccuped again, her body jolting slightly into Ginny. Despite her discomfort, she giggled and felt butterflies flutter in her chest. The sound was so adorable.

She tottered down the corridor, which seemed to twist and heave slightly. Her head was still buzzing from the Firewhisky, making it hard to keep herself balanced.

Then, halfway down the corridor, she took another step and found herself falling to the side. She tried to steady herself, but it was too late. She and Hermione toppled into one of the suits of armor with a deafening crash. It fell sideways and hit the one next to it, which in turn fell into the next one. Ginny watched in horror as half the row of suits fell over one by one like a huge set of dominos.

"Shitshitshit, no!"

Ginny's head was ringing with the sound of crashing metal. It echoed deafeningly off the walls. She got to her feet as the sound faded slightly and metal rolled away from the debris.

She had to act fast. Filch was probably on his way right now. She looked down at Hermione. She needed to move her away from the scene so they could hide. She bent down, grabbed Hermione by the arms and pulled her back towards the classroom they had just left.

She heard running footsteps growing louder from around the corner of the hallway. Her heart dropped into her stomach. They didn't have time. The door was too far away.

She turned and slid Hermione next to the plinth of a suit that was still standing. She pulled out her wand and hastily cast the disillusionment charm on Hermione just as Filch came wheezing around the corner. He shouted in triumph at the sight of Ginny.

She turned to look at him, standing up as straight as she could without swaying. He came to a stop in front of her, panting and clutching at the stitch in his chest. She took the opportunity to glance over at Hermione, but she had already turned invisible. She felt a tiny pang of relief. At least Hermione wouldn't get in trouble.

"So," wheezed Filch, sounding delighted. "So, thought you'd go running around after dark did you? Thought you'd go and wreck half a corridor? Do you have any idea how expensive that armor is?!"

He was right up against Ginny, who leaned back in disgust.

"This'll be detention for you this will!" he said, spitting slightly. "Follow me!"

He grabbed Ginny by the shoulder and marched her down the corridor. She didn't look back or try to throw him off. Her mind was oddly clear, given what was happening. Perhaps it was because she knew Hermione would be safe, as long as she didn't make any more noise. Or, she thought dully, perhaps it was the Firewhisky numbing her senses.

Filch led her down flights of steps and dark corridors, keeping a firm grip on her. They reached the ground floor and he led her into his office. She had never been in the room herself. It was a small, dark room that was lit only by a lamp hanging from the ceiling. She wrinkled her nose as the smell of fried fish filled her nostrils. Several cabinets lined the wall, some labeled with a range of years. One of them, she noticed with a slight pang, was labeled "Fred and George Weasley." She looked away from it and saw another cabinet labeled "Confiscated and Highly Dangerous." Ginny was just wondering what might be in there when Filch walked around his desk and pulled out a slip of parchment.

"Name... Ginny Weasley. Crime... Out of bed at," he looked at his watch, "twelve thirty in the morning. Deliberate vandalism and destruction of school property."

Ginny made to interrupt, but he spoke over her.

"Punishment: detention and fifty points from Gryffindor," he said, grinning nastily at Ginny as she glared at him.

She didn't dare speak as her slurred voice might give her away. If he found out she was drunk on top of everything else, she would probably get suspended from school. Instead, she simply sat, trying her best to stay steady and her eyes focused.

"I'll be having a word with professor McGonagall about your precious Quiddich parties," he said, his voice filled with relish. "Now, come with me."

She got up and left with him, relieved to be free of the smell of fish. She breathed the fresh air, soothing her head. They climbed back up the stairs together, Filch muttering about vagrants and what he would like to do with them.

Finally, they reached the corridor with the suits. The pile of metal and leather at the end of the hallway glimmered in the torchlight as they approached it.

"Now, get back to your common room. If you make any detours, it'll be a week's worth of detention." He bent and picked up a dented breastplate.

Ginny hesitated, looking from Filch to the place where she knew Hermione to be. If he was going to be by the pile, busy cleaning up the mess, it didn't look as if he would need to walk too near to her.

She set off down the corridor, walking as straight as she could. When she rounded the corner and the sound of shifting metal had died away, she broke into a run. She staggered her way up to Gryffindor tower, her head still buzzing.

She climbed through the portrait hole to find the room mercifully empty, though littered with debris from the party. She slumped down in an armchair, rubbing her temples. Her brain still felt slow and comfortably numb.

She was immensely tired. It had been such a long day. First the stress of secretly being pleasured in front of the school but still managing to scrape a win, then the party which had lasted hours, then sex with Hermione—

She felt her stomach lurch again. She had had sex with Hermione, her best friend. She had french kissed her, undressed her, played with her boobs, fingered her, ate her out and she had brought her to orgasm. She felt a whole host of emotions; triumph, pride, exhaustion, worry for what would happen if Filch found—

She sat bolt upright and hastily pulled the map out of her pocket. She found Hermione at once, still in the exact same spot, right next to a dot labeled "Argus Filch", which was flitting around next to her. Every now and then, Filch's dot paused for a minute, no doubt repairing various armor parts. Several times he came uncomfortably close to Hermione, causing Ginny to hold her breath.

She watched Filch's and Hermione's dot for what felt like years. Her eyes felt heavy and her head drooped. Finally, at two in the morning by Ginny's watch, Filch's dot suddenly moved past Hermione and out of the corridor.

She sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, and watched it closely until she was sure he was headed back to his office, then got up. The common room heaved and she swayed, grasping a chair for support. She lurched to the portrait hole, rubbing her eyes.

It took her ten minutes to reach Hermione. She stumbled a lot, her balance further impaired by her sleepiness, and was constantly stopping to check the map for Filch.

She finally turned down the corridor with the suits of armor. A few had been restored, but there was still a large pile of metal on the ground. Perhaps Filch had decided to call it in for the night. She walked over to the plinth where she had left Hermione and pointed her wand at the ground.

Hermione materialized, lying in the same position she had left her in. Ginny paused, thinking for a moment, then pointed her wand at Hermione again. She rose off the floor by a foot and Ginny led her down the hallway. She had rounded the corner and was halfway up to the tower when she stopped.

She could have levitated Hermione from the start.

She lifted her hand and covered her face, groaning through her fingers. She continued to walk Hermione, cursing her stupidity the rest of the way back.

* * *

Ginny awoke the next day with a strong headache and a sick feeling in her chest. Sunlight was pouring into the dormitory and birds were chirping outside the window. She opened her eyes groggily and tried to focus on her alarm clock. After a second or two, she was able to make out the time. It was half past two in the afternoon.

She let her head fall. Her stomach ached with hunger and she felt a little nauseous. She tried to think about what had happened the previous night, but it was all so fuzzy.

She had been partying with the rest of the house for the majority of the day. Then she and Hermione had escaped to drink Firewhisky in private. And then...

She racked her brains. Whatever had happened afterwards was a haze, as they had started to drink then, but she was sure it had been fun. She had enjoyed whatever it was immensely.

Then, slowly, it all came back to her. Hermione holding on to her as they danced. Hermione leaning in and kissing her. Hermione, stripped of her clothes, moaning as Ginny touched her, licked her.

A rosy red blush crept into Ginny's cheeks as she lay there. She felt her already aching stomach lurch. Her legs stiffened as she felt a slight twinge between her legs.

She rolled onto her side and looked over at Hermione's bed. She was passed out, lying with her mouth hanging open and her hair everywhere. Had it been a dream? Maybe it had been, but it had felt so real.

She slid out of bed, her head pounding. The floor seemed two sway like the deck of a ship. She rubbed her temples and looked at Hermione. She hesitated, then walked over to her, sitting on the edge of the bed. Hermione's legs slid down against her side as the mattress sank slightly. The bed creaked as she bent down and pulled Hermione's hair out of her face.

She slid her fingers gently down her cheek, brushing against her lips. She felt her heart thud as she looked at her. She was so beautiful, even with her mouth hanging open and her hair a tousled mess. Ginny studied every inch of the face she knew so well. Her eyelashes, the curve of her nose, the pores on her skin. Her lips were parted. She slowly leaned down, her red hair falling to obscure all but Hermione's face. An inch away, she licked her lips. She could feel Hermione's soft, warm breath as she leaned in closer. She breathed in the familiar scent of books, mixed with the faintest hint of lingering alcohol. Her heart was fluttering in her chest as she slowly closed the distance between them.

Their noses touched first. Ginny felt her chest tighten. She could feel the warmth emanating from her lips millimeters away. She took a slow, calming breath, then pressed her lips to Hermione's.

Her head swam pleasantly she sat and kissed Hermione. She could feel the wetness of her mouth, the soft shape of the lips. The tip of her tongue slid across her lips, tasting her. She sucked on Hermione's lower and upper lip, her eyes closed, loving the feel of her.

The dormitory door clicked behind her. She jumped, twisting around.

Demelza Robbins, one of Ginny's Chasers, walked into the room. Ginny tried her best to look casual, pulling her hair back nervously.

"Oh, there you are," said Demelza. "I've been looking around for you."

"Hey, Demelza. What are you doing here?" Ginny's voice shuddered slightly.

"McGonagall told me to find you, you weren't at breakfast. She says you've got to do your detention tonight, eight o'clock down at Hagrid's."

Ginny merely looked at her. Detention? What had she done? Her mind was racing. She was still disoriented from kissing Hermione.

Then she remembered.

"Oh, yeah! Filch! Ok... Uh, what time again?" she asked, still a little dazed. Her face felt hot with embarrassment.

"Eight o'clock," said Demelza. Then in a lower voice, "What did you do? Did he catch you outside the tower during the party or something?"

"Yeah, actually. Must've had too many Butterbeers," said Ginny, shrugging it off. "Did McGonagall say what I'll be doing?"

Demelza thought for a second. "No, I don't think so. But it can't be anything too bad, if you're going to be with Hagrid."

"Hope so," Ginny said with a convincing grimace. "Thanks for telling me."

"No problem," said Demelza. She turned and walked out of the dormitory, closing the door with a click.

Ginny hadn't realized that her shoulders had been tensed up. She relaxed them and sighed, slow and deep.

And then it hit her. She had detention. So that must mean that it couldn't have been just a dream, it had to have actually happened. They had had sex!

She turned and looked at Hermione, a radiant smile on her face. But then the excitement faded from her.

They had had sex.

They had cheated on both their boyfriends with each other. What was going to happen now? How was Hermione going to react when she woke up?

A sliver of hope flickered in her. Hermione had taken more Firewhisky than her. Maybe she had been too drunk to remember the night's events. Ginny wondered when she would get an opportunity to talk to Hermione today. It was important that she find out how much she remembered, but she wasn't in any rush. What if she did remember?

She looked back down at Hermione, who was still completely passed out, and sighed. She looked at her watch. It was three o'clock. She supposed it was lucky it was a Sunday. She would have gotten another detention for sleeping in so late and missing classes.

She got up and stretched, her head throbbing. The first thing she needed to do was find an antidote for her hangover. Then she could worry about Hermione and her detention.

* * *

At quarter to eight, Ginny returned to Griffindor tower to get ready to head down to Hagrid's for her detention. She put on a thick layer of clothes. It was cold outside and the sun had already gone down. She hadn't seen Hermione since she had kissed her that morning. She must have gotten up and left while Ginny was still in the unused classroom.

She straightened up and sighed, pulling on a scarf. If she was honest with herself, she didn't want to hear what Hermione remembered. Both their lives would be overturned if Hermione knew and the prospect of finding out if she did scarred Ginny more than she liked to admit. What had she been thinking, going to drink with her alone? If she had just stayed at the party, none of this would have happened.

She felt shame permeate through her. If only she hadn't been so willing to accompany Hermione, if only she hadn't said she wanted to drink something different. If Hermione remembered what had happened between them, both of their separate love lives were screwed, not to mention their friendship.

She took a deep breath.

 _It's not all your fault,_ she thought to herself. _Hermione was the one who suggested drinking Firewhisky alone. She was the one who asked you to dance. She was the one who..._

Ginny froze as the memory returned to her. Hermione was the one who had kissed her. She had chosen to kiss her, to start it, to make the first move. True, she had been drunk at the time, they had both been. But Hermione had actually done what Ginny probably would have been too nervous to do herself.

She felt her stomach flutter again as she grinned. An excited hopefulness spread through her.

She mentally shook herself. _No_ , she thought. _It doesn't help the situation. If anything, it makes it worse._

But she couldn't help but grin. What if Hermione had kissed her because she had actually wanted to, and not because she was just drunk? What if Hermione had planned it all, wanted Ginny to come with her? It was absurd, but it lit a fire in Ginny, giving her hope.

She felt slightly pleased, but mostly still guilty as she walked down to the common room. Hermione still wasn't there, so she decided to talk to her the next day. She sighed and made her way to the portrait hole.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

* * *

Ginny walked through the chilly grounds down to Hagrid's with a mixture of confusing emotions. She didn't know what to feel or what to do. She wanted Hermione, but if she were to act on her impulses and pursue her, their relationship with each other and their boyfriends would suffer. If Hermione remembered what had happened last night, she would either hate Ginny, or try to forget it had ever happened. If she didn't remember, then they would probably just go back to being friends.

But Ginny wasn't sure if she was okay with that. She wanted more. She wanted to hold on to her, to kiss her, to pleasure her, and she wanted Hermione to do the same.

 _But apparently_ , she thought bitterly, _the only time that's possible is when we're both impaired by alcohol_.

What a stupid situation to have landed herself in. Why, out of all the potential people for her to cheat on Harry for, did it have to be Hermione? She had created a love square with the three people in the world she cared about most. If anyone ever found out...

Fang's booming bark jolted her out of her thoughts. He ran at her, nearly knocking her over as he tried to lick her face.

"Oi! Get off her, Fang!" Hagrid called.

He had been behind his cabin tending to his garden and now came walking out to meet her. He grasped the boarhound around the collar and pulled him away from Ginny, who wiped her face on her robes.

"How are ya, Ginny? Ready for yer detention?"

"Hi, Hagrid. I guess so," she said, still dabbing at her chin. "How are you?"

"Oh, m'alright. Was just working on the pumpkins when you came. They're comin' along marvelous," he said proudly.

Leaning around Hagrid, she saw what looked like bright orange boulders sitting in Hagrid's garden. They were already very large and Ginny knew that by the time Halloween came, they would be big enough for her to stand in.

Hagrid walked over to his cabin door and picked up the crossbow leaning against it.

"Uh, Hagrid? What exactly am I going to be doing?"

She thought she knew already, and, sure enough:

"We're goin into the forest for tonight. Gotta check on summat. Thought you'd be useful."

"Ok..." said Ginny slowly. "But what exactly are we checking?"

She had been in the forest for a detention before. She knew that it was teeming with a whole host of dangerous creatures. She wasn't afraid of what was in there, but that didn't make the place any more inviting.

Hagrid was walking to the edge of the forest, Fang at his heels, and Ginny jogged to keep up. As she reached him, she lit her wand.

"Well... you remember them giant spiders?"

Ginny nearly tripped on a root. She stared at him. Surely he couldn't be allowed to take students to see the spiders? That would get him sacked, at the very least.

"Yeah...?"

"Well, ever since last May, you know, the battle an' everything, I haven't seen one. Not a trace. Maybe they was driven out by the Death Eaters, I dunno. But tonight, you and me are going to search the forest for any sign of them. Normally I wouldn't split up with kids in the forest, but McGonagall said you'd be more than capable, seein' how you're overage and a good fighter."

The complement did nothing to sooth Ginny. On the contrary, her discomfort rose at the thought of them separating in the forest. Spiders or not, to enter the forest alone was unwise, even for someone like Ginny.

"It'll be okay, you'll have Fang, he'll look after ya," said Hagrid, obviously thinking Ginny was afraid. She stiffened her resolve.

They had walked just far into the forest that the edge was no longer visible through the trees when Hagrid came to a stop.

"Okay, this'll do." They had reached a fork in the path. "I'll go left, you go right. An' remember to stay on the path. Anything goes wrong, just send up red sparks with yer wand and I'll come and get ya. Meet me back here in an hour or so, okay?"

"Okay," said Ginny, gritting her teeth.

They separated, Ginny taking the right path with Fang. When the sound of Hagrid walking through the forest had faded, she let out a sigh.

"This is so stupid," she muttered to Fang. "I don't suppose you ever get tired of these? Must be like a walk in the park for you."

Fang merely panted beside her.

"I'll take that as a yes."

She fell silent, listening to the chattering bugs and swaying branches. Twigs snapped under them as they walked deeper and deeper into the forest. She peered around at the spaces between the trees, imagining she could make out shapes moving around just outside her beam of wand light. The darkness deepened with every minute as the trees began growing closer together. The silence was broken only by their footsteps and the trickle of flowing water. There had to be a river nearby.

Sure enough, they came to a creek that cut through the path. Ginny came to a stop, standing by the water.

"Do you think we should go back?" she whispered to Fang. "I don't even know what we're supposed to be looking for. Maybe some webs or—"

And then she heard it. A faint noise was coming from up the creek, somewhat audible above the sound of running water.

She stiffened and so did Fang, his ears perking up. She tilted her head to listen, raising her wand. The gush of water made it impossible to tell what the sound was, but it was quite distinct from anything she had heard that night. She made to walk towards it, but Fang gave a soft, agitated bark and made to follow her.

"No, stay here. I'm going to check it out. I'll be fine. Stay, Fang!"

She could feel her heart thudding against her chest as she turned back and stepped off the path. She had seen the spiders once before. Had kept her own against three during the battle. She knew how to fight them, but the prospect, like entering the forest in the first place, was so deeply uninviting.

Twigs snapped loudly under her feet as she walked. She pointed her wand at them, murmured, " _Silencio"_ , and the sound died immediately. Even though she felt the leaves crunching and twigs breaking under her, she made no noise as she sneaked up the creak.

The sound was getting louder. It was oddly melodious. Ginny was halfway to its source when she realized it was someone singing. She froze, listening and wondering. The voice sounded female. Who would be out singing in the middle of the forest to sing? She extinguished her wand light and proceeded.

It was eerily beautiful, the notes swelling and flowing together like the water next to her. There were no discernible words, but it somehow felt friendly and welcoming. Even so, she proceeded cautiously, her wand at the ready.

Ginny reached the edge of a clearing and, peering around a tree, found the source of the singing. A hooded figure was walking barefoot towards the creek. She could tell from the shape of the figure and the way it was moving that it was indeed a girl. She was about Ginny's height and was wearing a white silk cloak, and was singing softly as she walked over the leaf strewn ground.

Ginny stared in wonder. Who was she? Why was she here?

The girl stopped singing and halted by a bend in the creak, facing away from Ginny. Ginny's mind was still racing with questions when the girl reached up and pulled her hood back.

She had shiny, sleek black hair that seemed to shimmer in the light of the moon. She reached up and began to fumble with something in front of her that Ginny couldn't see.

Then, without warning, the silk cascaded down her body, landing silently around her bare feet. She was completely naked.

Ginny's heart leaped up into her throat. Her eyes raked the girl's slim figure. Her black hair reached down to the small of her back.

Ginny stared, transfixed. She could feel her heart thumping as warmth blossomed between her own legs. Her stomach lurched again.

The girl turned and looked around the clearing. Ginny hastily pulled her head back so that she could watch the girl without being seen.

Her breasts were the same size as Ginny's, if not slightly smaller. Her skin was tan, smooth and hairless. Ginny tore her gaze from the girl's body and focused on her face. She was very pretty. Her face was cute and free of any blemish. But her eyes...

They were a bright shade of purple.

Ginny suddenly remembered the naked woman in her textbook that she had seen weeks ago. But this girl was not the same as the one in the illustration. She was younger and more innocent looking than the woman in the painting. Her face was different and her breasts were smaller. But there could be no mistake, she was clearly the same kind of creature. Ginny hadn't gone back to look for the woman in her textbook, in fact, she hadn't even thought about her since.

The girl turned back to the stream and stepped into the water. Ginny's bewilderment grew as the girl sank lower and lower. The water must be close to freezing and yet the girl sighed contentedly like it was a hot bath.

The girl stood in the middle of the creek, the dark water reaching up to her navel. She plunged her head under the water, pulling out a few seconds later. Water flew from her hair in a spiral as she flipped her head back. Her wet skin glistened in the darkness as she reached up, pulling her hair back.

Ginny felt a throb and clamped her legs together. As she did so, she felt a small wetness between her them. Her face flushed with heat as she continued to stare.

The girl lowered her hands from her head and, to Ginny's delight, squeezed her breasts. Both of them watched as the girl pressed them upwards to examine them. Ginny could see both her pale nipples poking between her fingers. The girl pressed her breasts together, moving them in a circular motion that made Ginny's mouth water. She felt her core throb again as she watched.

The girl slid the tips of her fingers around her pert nipples with an air of hardly noticing what she was doing. Ginny watched, her trembling legs pressed together as the girl's fingers circled closer and closer.

She very gently ran her fingers over her nipples in small circles. The girl's eyes closed and she let out a soft sigh, her mouth open slightly. She began to roll her nipples around, pressing into them with a single finger, then pinching them between two. She shuddered and swayed, letting out a soft moan that sent shivers down Ginny's back.

Ginny's face was bright red and she could feel her cheeks burning. She couldn't help it. She lifted a hand and began to mimic the girl, rubbing her nipples through her shirt. They were extremely hard. She breathed out gently, trying her best not to moan as she continued to watch the girl.

They both continued to rub their breasts. Ginny kept completely quiet, biting her lip and breathing as softly as possible. But the girl, oblivious to Ginny, had begun to moan, pinching and rubbing her nipples a little harder. She scooped up some water and splashed it on herself, making her skin shimmer in the moonlight.

The sight was so amazingly erotic that Ginny bent forward, her legs stiffening. She felt a little fluid escape her and she covered her mouth to stop herself from moaning. She lowered her hand and slid it down her pants. Her panties were wet and the moment her fingers met the fabric, she bucked her hips against them unconsciously. A satisfying warmth spread up her body from her core.

At almost the same moment, the girl slid her hand down her wet abs and under the water. A second later, she let out a soft cry and she tilted her head back, her mouth wide.

Ginny dug faster, her heart fluttering out of her chest. She pressed her fingers against her damp panties. She started to grind against her hand, leaning her shoulder against the tree. It was taking all her willpower to keep quiet.

Meanwhile, the girl in front of her was letting out loud, shaky moans. She too was grinding rhythmically against her hand, sending out ripples in the dark water. She had started to pant.

Ginny's mind had gone foggy with arousal. She bent forward, leaning against the tree, and slipped her hand under her panties. She rubbed at her warm, wet flesh. Her hips thrust into her hand in time with her fingers.

The girl removed her hand from her breast and sucked on her fingers quickly before going back to rolling her nipple between two fingers. She gave a small squeak, her face uplifted. Ginny felt the heat in her core strengthen and redoubled her fingering. She opened her mouth in a silent gasp, staring at the girl through half closed eyes.

Pleasure was seeping from her, dampening the palm of her hand. She hit her climax and felt her hand and panties become soaked with her escaping fluids.

Pleasure hit her brain, blocking out everything.

She moaned aloud.

The girl yelped and covered herself, staring around. Her eyes found Ginny, shuddering against her tree.

Ginny's libido kept her going. In that instant, she was unable to care about anything. But she very quickly felt the last vestiges of excitement leave her to be replaced by a mortified shock. She stared at the girl, one hand deep in her pants, the other at her shirt, and the girl stared back, her hands over her breasts.

Where there was once arousal and pleasure, now fear replaced it. She wasn't human. Ginny had no idea what she was or what she was capable of. She thought of reaching for her wand, but her arms felt like lead.

The girl's eyes were wide with surprise, glinting purple in the semidarkness. Her face had flushed and her mouth was open. She looked as if she wanted nothing more than to melt on the spot.

And then she did.

The girl simply turned to clear water, splashing loudly into the creek and sending out deep ripples.

Ginny blinked. It took her a few seconds to become fully aware of what she had just seen. She stared at the water, and then stood up straight, taking her wet hands out of her pants and wiping most of it off on her jeans. She walked over to the bank and pulled out her wand, pointing it at the creek.

"Hello?" she whispered. There was no reply. "Look, I... I'm sorry, about..."

She didn't know what she was going to say. She took a deep, calming breath.

"I'm sorry I spied on you," she said, a little more confidently. "I didn't expect you to... you know... I mean, I was just looking for whoever was singing, and I just... I was curious and I got a little, uh, carried away."

She was rambling for the first time in years. She felt herself go red and covered her face. This had to be more embarrassing than masturbating during the Quidditch match. She looked around the clearing. There was no sign of the girl.

"Look, come back. I'm really sorry, we can talk it over—"

She stepped on something soft. She looked down and saw the silk cloak under her foot.

"Hey, you left your cloak," she said, stooping to pick it up.

There was a gentle splash behind her and she looked up.

An arm was reaching up out of the water. There was no sign of the rest of the girl under the surface. The arm beckoned to her, holding out her hand.

Ginny stepped over to the creek and knelt by the water, placing the silk in the outstretched hand. The arm darted under the water and disappeared along with the silk.

Ginny waited, holding her breath. The water trickled and flowed around the rocks and pebbles. Insects chirped and buzzed around the forest. An owl hooted somewhere. She waited, wondering if the girl was dressed yet or if she would even come out.

However, after a minute or two, Ginny stood up and stretched. It wasn't a good idea to stay stationary in the forest for too long. She should really head back to Fang and Hagrid.

She looked down at the water, wondering if the girl was still there.

"I'm going to leave now. Again, I'm really sorry about spying on you."

She turned and walked away, glad to be free of the awkward silence that had swelled in the clearing. She wound her way through the trees back to Fang, thinking about the girl. She had so many questions. Who or what was she? Why was she in the forest in the first place? How was she able to turn into water? Why did she come to a monster infested forest to masturbate?

Ginny's face flushed with embarrassment again. What the hell had just happened? She had been caught masturbating to a total stranger who wasn't even human. She felt ashamed, not to mention extremely confused. This was only going to complicate things.

 _It's not my fault she decided to play with herself in a creek,_ she thought defiantly. _She was hot and naked and wet. Anyone would have masturbated to that._

Nevertheless she sighed. She had walked down to Hagrid's half an hour ago thinking that her love life could hardly become more complicated and confusing. Now however, she almost longed for the days when a secret lust for Hermione was the only thing weighing on her conscience.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

* * *

As Ginny walked up to the castle half an hour later she began to feel nervous. There was a chance Hermione might be waiting for her in the common room. After all, they hadn't spoken or seen each other for the entire day, unless you counted Ginny kissing Hermione in her sleep that morning.

She didn't know what was going to happen. Everything was so confusing now. She had been hoping to use the time during her detention to think about her situation and come to a conclusion about what she was going to do. But she had only made things worse by getting caught masturbating to another girl, and a non human at that.

 _A ridiculously sexy non human_ , she corrected herself with a mixture of defiance and shame.

Much too soon, Ginny found herself outside the portrait of the Fat Lady. She took a deep breath to calm herself. If Hermione was in there, they would have to talk. If she wasn't, they would talk tomorrow. She couldn't avoid her forever. Mustering up her courage, she spoke the password and entered, holding her breath.

Hermione was lounging in an armchair by the fire, waiting for her to arrive.

Ginny's heart fluttered with a mixture of panic and excitement. She didn't know if she felt relief or dread at the sight of her. As she entered the common room, Hermione looked up at her.

"Where have you been?" she said. "I've been looking for you all day! Someone said you got detention?" She looked tired but happy to see her.

"Yeah, I did," said Ginny, taking the armchair opposite Hermione.

"What for? I thought it might have been because we got caught last night, but it couldn't have been because I'd be in detention, too. What happened?"

Ginny's stomach lurched. She had hoped they would have gotten to the subject of the previous night later, if at all. She hesitated, still unsure about what she should say. She finally decided to lie about the sex, or at least not mention it.

She told Hermione about what had happened, making it sound as if Hermione had simply passed out after drinking too much.

"And once Filch went to bed, I came back to the corridor and levitated you back up to the dormitory," she finished.

Hermione sighed, looking down at her folded hands.

"I'm sorry," she muttered. "This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't forced you into drinking."

"You didn't force me to do anything, I'd gladly go again," said Ginny.

She mentally punched herself. _No, you wouldn't, remember? That would only make things worse._

"I mean," she said, thinking fast. "If I had just levitated you from the start, I wouldn't have knocked over those suits. It was my fault that I got caught, not your's."

"Well, thanks for hiding me anyway," said Hermione.

They sat for a moment, neither of them speaking. The sound of the fire crackling in the grate filled the room. Ginny felt awkward again. She felt like she should say something.

"You look pretty sober," she said, playing for time.

"Yeah, I got a potion," said Hermione. "Someone was giving them out this morning to all the older students."

"Good idea." said Ginny.

Hermione nodded and they lapsed into silence again. After a few seconds, Hermione spoke.

"What did you have to do?" she asked. "For detention, I mean. Demelza said you were down at Hagrid's?"

"Yeah," said Ginny, glad of the change of subject. "He wanted me to help him look for those giant spiders in the forest."

Hermione looked up at her, her mouth open in shock.

"You're not serious?"

Ginny nodded gravely.

"But that's far too dangerous for a detention! He can't just take students to see them, he'd get sacked! How did you get away?"

"Relax," said Ginny. "They weren't there. Hagrid wanted to see if there were any left after the battle. He says they must have been driven out by the Death Eaters or something. It was basically just a stroll in the forest."

Hermione looked relieved.

"Well I hope he's right. The forest will probably be safe enough for students now without them." She paused. "I bet Hagrid's not pleased."

"Yeah, he looked pretty sad," said Ginny, a bit lamely.

The watched the fire in silence for a few minutes. Ginny stared into the dying embers without really seeing them.

She had to ask, she just had to.

"Do you remember anything from last night?" she asked, trying to sound casually curious. "It's still a bit fuzzy for me."

"Well... yeah, up until we started drinking. I only remember bits and pieces of what happened after that," she said.

Ginny waited, holding her breath, her heart beating fast.

"I think I remember... Did we dance?"

Ginny hesitated, trying to look thoughtful, before smiling.

"Yeah, I think we did. I forgot about that," she said, her voice steady.

"Yes. And do you remember what happened after that?" Hermione asked.

They looked each other in the eye.

A lead ball dropped into Ginny's stomach as she looked into Hermione's face. The room seemed to sway.

She knew. She could see it in her face. Ginny had already told her what had happened after that. Hermione hadn't forgotten what she had said. She wasn't making friendly conversation. She was giving Ginny a second chance to tell the truth.

It was over, all over. Everything came crashing down inside her. She felt herself break a little as her eyes began to sting and her lip trembled. She looked down at her feet.

"You remembered," she whispered.

Hermione didn't say anything.

Ginny buried her face in her hands, trying desperately to keep herself together. She felt like she was falling. Falling down a bottomless pit. A dull feeling of hopelessness swept over her. What was going to happen now?

She didn't dare look at Hermione. She couldn't bear to see her face. Her embarrassment. Her disgust. All she wanted to do was sit there until Hermione left her alone in the common room. Would she ever forgive her for this?

"Ginny..." said Hermione softly.

She didn't answer. She didn't want to think or speak. It felt much easier to sit and stare at her shoes. If she did anything else she would fall apart.

"Ginny, talk to me."

She remained still and quiet. Hermione sighed.

"To answer your question, no, I don't actually remember," said Hermione. "I can't remember anything after we danced, honestly. I think I drank too much. But I know what happened afterwards."

She paused and Ginny waited, her breath held. She could feel Hermione's eyes on her. Hermione took a deep breath.

"We had sex...didn't we?" she said in little more than a whisper.

Ginny swallowed. To hear it said out loud, framed as a simple question, seemed to make it final and real like nothing else had. She raised her head and looked into Hermione's eyes again.

"Yes, we did," she whispered. Her throat felt too constricted to speak out loud.

Hermione looked down at her feet and smiled weakly.

"Was it good?" she asked.

Ginny stared at her in astonishment.

"Was it good?" she repeated. "Was it good?!"

She got to her feet. She didn't know why but she felt frustration and anger boil up inside her.

"Do you have any idea what I've done? Both of our lives are screwed thanks to me and all you can say is 'was it good'? Do you think this is some kind of joke?"

Hermione didn't respond.

"I've been thinking about it all day," Ginny continued. "All day it's been torturing me, whether or not you remembered, whether or not I'd tell you, how you'd react. Aren't you angry?"

Hermione frowned up at Ginny.

"Well, I—" she began.

"And what about Harry and Ron?" Ginny interrupted. "What are we supposed to tell them? Hey Harry, guess what? Your girlfriend had sex with one of your best friends. Oh, and Ron, your girlfriend cheated on you with your own sister. But it was good, so no harm done."

"You know I didn't mean—"

Ginny reached up and agitatedly ran her fingers through her hair.

"I mean do you even realize how confusing and fucked up..."

"Ginny! I've been thinking all of that too!" said Hermione.

She got to her feet too and pulled Ginny's hands away from her hair.

"I know how confusing and messed up this is and all day I wanted to find you and talk about it. And I'm not angry, I just want to talk."

Ginny felt her throat tighten and her eyes burn. She avoided Hermione's gaze and looked at her shoulder instead, blinking rapidly. She wished Hermione would let go of her hands.

"I thought..." she said in a constricted voice. "I thought you'd be furious, if you remembered. I thought you'd hate me for what I did."

"You mean what we did," said Hermione.

Ginny looked up at her. They were close together now, only inches apart. They looked into each other's eyes. Ginny could feel Hermione's breath on her face. Her eyes darted from Hermione's deep, brown eyes to her lips and back again. Her heartbeat quickened with every second.

Hermione reached up and held Ginny's face in her hands, looking straight into her face. And then she leaned forward and pressed her lips to Ginny's, kissing her firmly.

Ginny's mind went numb with shock as she felt her whole body melt. At first she felt surprise and confusion, but it was quickly masked by a foggy, blissful unawareness. She felt like she was floating up as her heart swelled. She didn't know how to react, so she simply stood there, feeling Hermione's soft lips push gently against her's. She half closed her eyes and opened her mouth slightly, hoping Hermione would explore her more.

Hermione pulled back, breaking the kiss and looking into Ginny's face.

Ginny swayed and opened her eyes slightly. They stood looking at each other for a few seconds. It took Ginny a while to register what had just happened, and even longer to form her words.

"Wh...why'd you do that?" she said shakily.

"You looked like you needed a kiss. And because I wanted to," whispered Hermione. She sounded confident, but her cheeks were a deep shade of red. She looked almost as flustered as Ginny was. They didn't speak for a few seconds.

"Well... did you like it?" asked Hermione nervously.

Ginny's mind was blank. She tried to think, to make sense of the situation, but she was distracted by Hermione's lips. She stared at them, at their enticing shape, noticing that they were slightly wet. She wanted to kiss them again, to explore them, to feel them against her's.

Ginny leaned in and brushed her lips lightly against Hermione's. She felt her shudder slightly.

"Yes," she breathed.

Ginny wrapped her arms around Hermione and kissed her deeply. She ran her hands up her back like she had done the night before, rubbing and scratching. Hermione moaned into her mouth and they turned their heads to deepen the kiss.

Ginny felt like she had fallen into a dream. Out of everything that had happened over the last two days, all the ridiculous situations that had piled one after the other, she felt like this was the strangest. But also the most enjoyable, even more than sex.

She was making out with Hermione Granger, her best friend, and Hermione was kissing back. Neither of them was drunk or impaired. They were fully aware of consequences and yet here they were, wrapped in a tight embrace and kissing passionately.

She wanted this to last forever, to hold on to Hermione, to kiss her and have her kiss back. To rub her fingers up her back and through her hair. To explore her mouth with her tongue while Hermione did the same.

Hermione pushed Ginny back and she fell into her chair, breaking away from Hermione for a few seconds.

As Hermione leaned down to resume kissing her, Ginny came back to herself momentarily.

"Wait," she said. "What if someone comes downstairs?"

"We'll tell them to leave," said Hermione in a husky voice.

She leaned down and cupped Ginny's face again, kissing her again. Ginny had never seen this side of her before. It was hot, but Ginny resisted.

"Wait..." she said again between kisses. "We need... to talk..."

"Mmh... Now?"

"Yes, now!"

"Not now."

"Hermione,"

"Hm?"

"Just get off for a second,"

"Mmh."

With difficulty, Ginny grabbed Hermione's hands and roughly pushed her away.

"We need to talk," she said again in a commanding voice.

"Fine, what is it?" said Hermione. She sounded impatient, unlike herself. Ginny was too, but she need to clarify a few things first.

"I..." she began, but stopped short. She couldn't remember what she was going to ask. Her brain felt like jelly.

After a moment or two, it came back to her.

"I just wanted to know," she began again. "How did you know? You said you knew what happened, but how? We could have just gotten drunk last night and nothing could have happened. Why were you so sure we had sex?"

"Hmm. I'll show you, if you let me go."

Something in her voice made Ginny swallow, her mind going foggy again. She let go of Hermione's hands. Hermione smiled and stood up, reaching down to her shorts. Ginny's heart skipped a beat and her face reddened, but she didn't say anything. Hermione toyed with her button, finally undoing it and pulling down her zipper. Ginny's stomach lurched with excitement as she watched. Hermione hesitated for a moment, then pulled her shorts down an inch, opening them slightly to Ginny and revealing her panties.

"See?" said Hermione.

There was a small wet spot just barely visible under the lip of Hermione's shorts. Ginny's mouth watered at the sight and her heart fluttered again.

"Yeah, I see it," she said, a little groggily. "You're wet."

Hermione blushed scarlet and looked down in surprise.

"What? No, not that!" she said with a mixture of exasperation and embarrassment. "Focus on the panties!"

"Can I?" asked Ginny, reaching out.

This time it was Hermione who held Ginny's hands back.

"They're your panties, Ginny. They belong to you."

It was only then that Ginny noticed it. Hermione was right. She was wearing Ginny's simple pink panties.

"Uh, why...?"

"She me your's," said Hermione.

"Wh—what?"

"Show me the one's you're wearing."

Ginny stared at her for a second, then looked curiously down at her pants. She slowly undid the button on her jeans and slid the zipper down. Together, she and Hermione looked at her panties.

They were white with little blue flowers. The exact same pair that Hermione had worn last night.

"You switched them accidentally, didn't you?" asked Hermione.

Ginny looked up at her, her face burning. How had she not noticed them? How could she have been so stupid not to check?

"The last thing I remember was drinking with you and then us slow dancing," said Hermione. "I wake up the next day with a hangover wearing your pair of panties. It doesn't take a genius to figure it out."

They looked at each other.

"So..." said Ginny slowly. "So... you're ok with it?"

Hermione hesitated, looking into Ginny's eyes.

"No, I'm not ok with it," she said, crossing her arms.

Ginny deflated. She felt so confused. What was going on then?

"I'm sorry—" she began again, but Hermione spoke over her.

"I'm not ok with having sex with you and not remembering, it's not fair," said Hermione briskly, blushing again. She looked like she was steeling herself, trying to be frank and cool in an area she clearly lacked experience in. "I want you to tell me in detail exactly what happened."

Ginny stared at her. This was almost too much. Her emotions had been toyed with so much over the last two days that she hardly knew what to feel anymore. She was so drained and confused that she couldn't even think.

"Hold on, I need a minute," she muttered, covering her face with her hands.

She and Hermione were now mutually and consciously cheating on both their boyfriends with each other. What was going to happen if they found out? If _anyone_ found out? Hermione had just kissed her, in her right mind this time, and was asking for details about their sexual excursion. She seemed to have been thinking about Ginny just as much as Ginny had, and in the same way. And to top it all off, Ginny had just been thoroughly seduced by another girl just an hour ago, a complete stranger and non human, and had already got caught masturbating to her.

She took a deep calming breath, trying to clear her head. One step at a time.

"How long have you felt this way?" she asked, her hands still covering her face.

Hermione uncrossed her arms.

"A few years," she said, her voice gentle. Ginny felt her stomach lurch again. "Hard to say exactly when. It's been growing for a while. When we got separated in the Department of Mysteries, I was so scared for you. I couldn't explain it, but for some reason, all I could think of was finding you again and making sure you were safe. I think I realized then that I cared about you more than... you know... just as a friend."

Ginny lowered her hands, looking up into Hermione's face. Her throat felt slightly constricted.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well I... I don't know, I guess I was too afraid of how you might react. I didn't want to ruin our friendship, so I... I tried to forget about it and move on."

They sat in silence for a moment. Ginny felt quietly elated, like there were fireworks going off inside her. But it was mixed in with a feeling of regret. She could have gone to Hermione at any time over the last month and they could have spent it all together.

"What about you?" asked Hermione quietly.

Ginny hesitated, wondering how much she should say.

"First day back," she said, settling on the truth, or at least part of it. "When you placed your hand on my leg. I ran up the stairs and I... and I thought about you all night. And since then I just couldn't stop thinking about you."

"Hm..." said Hermione shrewdly. "If by 'thought about you' you mean 'masturbate', then..."

"What?! No!" said Ginny, her face reddening. "I never said that! I didn't..."

"Oh, come on Ginny," said Hermione exasperatedly. "You can't seriously think I didn't notice? We sleep in the same bedroom for Christ's sake. I've heard you moan my name at least twice."

Ginny blushed deeper. She had moaned in the dormitory? When had she moaned? How could she have been so careless?! She swallowed the lump in her throat and stared at the arm of her chair.

"Don't worry," Hermione continued. "You were quiet enough that the other girls probably didn't hear, that is if they were awake. After that it was kind of obvious. And I've also followed you a couple times."

Ginny looked up, her face positively burning now.

"I don't know what you—"

"When you've run off. The first time I was just curious, because you were always going somewhere alone. I followed you to the lake and... well..." Hermione's voice trailed away and she rubbed the back of her neck.

Ginny buried her face in her hands again, too mortified to say anything.

"And the time after that was in a secret passage on... the fifth floor I think? Then a week later it was that big broom cupboard on the second floor. I think you actually used one of the—"

"Ok! I get it!" said Ginny, waving her hands.

There was a pause. Ginny stared at her knees and Hermione struggled to keep her face straight.

"I can feel the heat coming from your face," said Hermione, her voice shaking from suppressed laughter.

"Oh, don't..." said Ginny, looking away.

"It looks like it hurts. Should I get some ice?"

"That's not funny, it's—"

"Hot," supplied Hermione.

"Stop it, please, I'm serious—" said Ginny.

"No," said Hermione, leaning down and looking into Ginny's scarlet face. "I mean, I think it's hot. Like the beautiful hot. You, I mean."

Ginny looked back into Hermione's face. She couldn't speak. Her heart seemed to be throwing itself at her ribs. Hermione's eyes were flickering back and forth between Ginny's, and occasionally down at her lips.

Ginny felt embarrassed, but also extremely aroused. She could feel a slight wetness between her legs, but didn't bother to reach down to hide her panties. She was aching for Hermione to touch her again, to kiss her. But she didn't want to wait.

Without thinking, she reached around Hermione's head and pulled her close, pressing her mouth over her lips. Their tongues met and this time, Ginny won the battle for dominance. She felt around with her tongue, causing Hermione to giggle softly. Her hands got lost in Hermione's hair. She felt her brain fog up again as Hermione began to run her hands up and down Ginny's legs. Whenever she got close to her center, Ginny shuddered.

She sucked on Hermione's tongue and licked the tip from inside her mouth just like she had done the previous night. Hermione giggled again, humming slightly.

Ginny lowered her head and kissed Hermione's jaw line, causing her to sigh into Ginny's ear. She slowly crept lower and lower, reaching her neck and kissing her adam's apple. Hermione let out a moan, her throat vibrating. Ginny reached up and pulled at the hem of Hermione's shirt, lifting it up to her bra.

There was a sudden noise from behind them.

Hermione jumped and yanked her shirt down. Ginny swore as an electric current shot through her entire body. At the same time they reached down and zipped up their pants. Hermione almost fell over as she jumped into the armchair opposite Ginny.

Ginny pulled her hair out of her face just as a pair of first year girls came walking into the common room. They took one look at the older pair by the fire and averted their eyes, walking quickly into the girl's bathroom together and closing the door behind them with a snap.

Ginny and Hermione breathed out together. Ginny felt her heart continue to thud painfully against her ribs and laughed shakily. They looked at each other, grinning and breathing heavily.

"We're lucky they're shy," said Ginny, looking towards the door to the bathroom.

"Yeah," panted Hermione, "And noisy."

They looked at each other again.

"Ginny..." Hermione began, but Ginny forestalled her.

"We can't," she said. "Not here. Not now. It isn't safe."

"Yeah, I think so too," said Hermione in a defeated sort of voice.

"We can pick up where we left off tomorrow," said Ginny seductively, and Hermione looked up, blushing. "Somewhere we know is private. That way we'll have all the time we want. Besides, I'm actually completely exhausted."

Hermione looked stuck between disappointment and arousal. She was biting her lip and glancing towards the door to the bathroom.

"I really want to," Ginny continued. "But I want our first time together to be perfect. Well, our first time consciously together. Are you... okay with that?"

Hermione nodded, still blushing.

Ginny stood up. She hadn't realized how sore her feet were until now. Hermione stood up too. Without a word they stepped forward and hugged. Ginny could feel Hermione's breasts pressing against her own. She wondered whether Hermione was pushing them against her on purpose. She pressed back and inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of Hermione's hair. They held onto each other for a long time, neither wanting to let go.

After a while, they separated. Ginny hesitated, glancing at the door to the bathroom before giving Hermione a swift kiss. She smiled at Hermione, who smiled back and together they climbed up the stairs to their dormitory, Ginny watching Hermione's swaying hips intently all the way up.

She couldn't wait for tomorrow to come. She wanted to take Hermione right now. She wanted to rip her clothes from her and plant kisses all over her body. She wanted to caress her, feel her warm, soft skin rub up against her own. But she also wanted to talk about their relationship and what they were going to do about their boyfriends. They were in this together now after all. But she knew it would have to wait for their date the next day, during which, if they had time, they might discuss their situation.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

* * *

Ginny's head drooped from her hand, jolting her awake. She had dozed off in her Defense Against the Dark Arts class while staring at Hermione's hair again. It was really becoming a bad habit of her's.

She stretched in her seat and yawned deeply, trying to pay attention to the professor. But however hard she tried, it was almost impossible to focus. For one thing, the lecture she was supposed to be listening to was almost as boring as Professor Binns's lectures, which was saying something. For another, she was extremely tired. She had barely gotten any sleep after going up to bed with Hermione. They hadn't done anything, but she had laid awake well into the early hours of the morning thinking about what had happened.

While her love life was still twisted and complicated, she felt much better about moving forward now that she knew Hermione felt the same way about her. At least she didn't have to hide her feelings from her. She supposed she was lucky. The odds of Hermione actually turning out to have been nursing a crush on her were astronomical. And yet here they were, secretly dating.

Ginny's heart swelled at the thought. Dating. She was actually going out with Hermione. Later today they were going to run off to some part of the school together and maybe, just maybe have sex. She still couldn't fully wrap her head around it.

She rested her head back on her hand, gazing longingly at Hermione's hair again. She wondered where they would go together on their first day as a couple.

She imagined pulling Hermione into the unused classroom and kissing her roughly. They would lock the door and start feverishly pulling each other's clothes off. Hermione would pull her over to the pile of velvet curtains and they would sink into it together, wrapped in each other.

But she didn't much like the idea of going back there again. An old neglected classroom wasn't the most romantic setting for sex, even though they had used it already for just that. She was fine using it on her own to masturbate, but she felt Hermione deserved better than a hard desk or a pile of curtains.

Perhaps they could go down to the lake. She imagined lying under the shade of a tree by the water's edge with Hermione. She would kiss her and slide her hands down her pants. Hermione would grind against her fingers and afterwards they would cool off in the water.

 _No_ , she thought. _It's too exposed to really do anything_.

A deserted corridor?

 _Too cold and uncomfortable._

Astronomy tower?

 _Too windy, and no there's no soft surfaces._

A bathroom?

 _That would be gross and utterly unromantic._

The Room of Requirement?

Ginny paused. Of course. Why hadn't she thought of it earlier? The room would be perfect. They could seal it completely and ask for the biggest, comfiest bed ever. They could change the lighting and walls to mimic whatever venue they wanted. They could set up the perfect place in an instant.

Excitement flooded through Ginny. She wanted to tell Hermione about it right now. But they were only halfway through the class, and the professor was particularly strict about keeping them quiet during lectures.

A sudden inspiration came to her and she reached into her bag, pulling out a blank piece of parchment. She thought for a moment, then scribbled a note on it.

 _Hermione, I've got an idea for where we should meet, but we can't be seen passing notes. Can you put a Protean charm on this note so we can write to each other without having to pass it back and forth? (I'm still no good at it)_

Ginny read it over and then folded it up. She pulled out her wand and sent it hovering around Hermione to rest on her desk.

Hermione glanced over her shoulder before reaching down to unfold it. Ginny couldn't see her properly as she was sitting right behind her, but she imagined her grinning as she read the note. After a few seconds, Hermione pulled her wand and another sheet of parchment out of her bag surreptitiously.

A minute passed in silence. Ginny waited patiently, still feeling excited. Then she saw the parchment floating back to her from around Hermione.

She unfolded it to find new words already forming on the page. It was strange hearing the scratch of Hermione's quill in front of her and watching as the words appeared on her parchment.

 _How do you not have it down yet? We've been working on it for a week._

Ginny grinned and wrote back.

 _Don't brag! You might have mastered it in your fifth year, but the rest of us have had other stuff on our minds._

She drew a winking face next to her words.

Hermione turned her head slightly and swept her hair behind her ear in a dignified sort of way. Ginny smirked as Hermione began to write again.

 _What were you thinking?_

 _Well, we need a place that's safe and comfortable. So I thought we could use the Room of Requirement. We can seal it and modify it to whatever we want. Sound good?_

Hermione paused, then bent over the parchment again.

 _I was actually thinking we could use the prefects' bathroom on the fifth floor. It's got a pool and tons of different enchanted taps. One of them makes soap suds that can hold you up on the water. It's really, really comfortable._

Ginny thought for a moment. That did sound enticing. She wrote back hastily.

 _How would we seal it though? What if someone walks in?_

 _It's a bathroom, Ginny._

 _So?_

 _So you can close the door._

Ginny exhaled through her nose and rolled her eyes. Hermione turned her head slightly and gave her a look. Ginny responded with a "whatever" look and Hermione faced forward, grinning.

 _But still, it's a bathroom_ , Ginny continued. _It doesn't sound exactly romantic._

 _Have you ever even been in the prefects' bathroom?_

 _No?_

 _Trust me, it's romantic._

 _Alright, sounds good to me. We have a free period after class, so we can go then._

 _I can't, I have an Arithmancy exam today and I need to go to the library to study. Maybe after my class ends and before dinner starts?_

Ginny let out a soft sigh. She didn't like the idea of waiting any longer. This was going to mean two hours of doing nothing. Hermione seemed to interpret her silence correctly, because she wrote hastily,

 _I don't like waiting either, but I need to study. I barely worked on it the past couple of days._

 _It's ok, I can work in the library too. I have some stuff I need to look up._

This was technically true. Ginny hadn't forgotten what she had seen in the forest the previous night. She was determined to learn more about the purple-eyed girl and had decided last night to look her up in the library when she got the chance. She still didn't know anything about her, other than the fact that she was extremely attractive and good at melting. Ginny had her textbook with her and she planned to find her in there and learn everything she could about her species. The first place to go, after finding her in the textbook, was the library.

Hermione might already know all about them, given the fact that she was Hermione and therefore knew everything, but Ginny was far from telling anyone about her encounter. In fact she was determined to take the secret to her grave.

Ginny thoughts were interrupted by the scratching of Hermione's quill. She looked down to see a fresh sentence.

 _Speaking of work, we should probably be paying attention right now._

 _Ok._

 _And we should probably wipe this parchment when we're done with it._

 _Ok._

Their conversation disappeared, leaving the parchment blank again. Ginny sat back in her seat and rubbed her eyes. It was going to be a long two hours. She didn't know if she could stand to wait that long.

She looked down at the parchment. A small heart was drawn in one of the corners. She felt butterflies in her chest and smiled down at the paper. Feeling a little hot in the face, she drew a heart interlocking with the first one.

After a few seconds, they vanished just like the words before them.

* * *

"You know, you could help me study. Arithmancy is pretty interesting, you might find you like it."

Hermione was sitting with a pile of thick books in front of her, looking over long sheets of parchment. Ginny looked up from her textbook at the complicated charts and equations and tried to look vaguely tempted by the offer.

"Um, no thanks, I'm pretty busy." she said.

Hermione shrugged and went back to work.

Ginny went back to flipping the pages of her book. She didn't know why anyone would want to study Arithmancy. It sounded ridiculously difficult and unnecessary. But she knew better than to question Hermione's preferences.

She continued to flick determinedly through her textbook, passing all kinds of creatures and their descriptions. After a minute or two of searching, she turned a page on Acromantulas and found what she was looking for.

The painting she had seen on her first day of class was exactly as she remembered it. The naked woman sat on her rock, running her hands through her long dark hair and looking up at Ginny with half closed eyes.

Warmth filled Ginny's cheeks as she looked around to see if anyone was near. Madam Pince was sitting at her desk, checking out books for a couple of students. Other than that, the library was deserted.

Ginny looked back at her book and finally turned her attention to the description next to the painting. She began to read.

 _Nymphs_

 _Sentience: Human Intelligence_

 _Eye color: Purple_

 _Hair color: Black_

 _Skin color: White, tan_

 _Nymphs are a very rare humanoid species native to Greece. They are widely believed to be close cousins of Veela, given their similarities in form and relatively close location of origin. Like Veela, they take the form of strikingly beautiful young women, but are distinguishable by their black hair and uniquely purple irises. Unlike true Veela, they do not possess the ability to conjure fire or change their appearance to resemble that of a Harpy when angered._

 _However, they have been known to transfigure themselves when threatened. Wood nymphs, or dryads, may change the texture of their skin to camouflage themselves in a forest environment. Water nymphs, or naiads, can turn their bodies into pure water and back at will, allowing for a quick getaway. Naiads can also swim undetected through any body of fresh water, even upstream._

Ginny finished reading and looked at the painting of the nymph. Finally some answers. However, even though she now knew what the girl was, she still had questions.

She got to her feet and walked away from the table where she was sitting with Hermione. She didn't look up from her work, so Ginny walked past her into the aisles of bookshelves, looking for more information on nymphs.

After about five minutes of searching she came across a likely book and opened it. She found a longer description of nymphs, some of which she had already read in her own textbook. She skipped to the new part.

 _Nymphs are well known for being extremely sexually promiscuous, even amongst themselves, seducing wizards, witches and muggles alike with their amorous charm. Unlike Veela, nymphs cannot become pregnant, contract disease, or age once they reach maturity. This has made them the unfortunate targets of numerous attacks and kidnappings. Naiads are especially well adapted for escape, given their ability to turn into pure water, and are now therefore more numerous than dryads._

 _While they often behave dominantly when seducing and copulating, nymphs are, for the most part, non-aggressive, non-territorial creatures that tend to flee their environment when threatened. They rarely ever fight against an occupying force and are often easily frightened. Their worst fear, according to most reliable sources, is Acromantulas._

Something clicked in Ginny's mind. She had been wondering why she had never seen anything like the girl before. Of course nymphs wouldn't enter the forest before now. It looked as if Hagrid had been right about the spiders being driven out. If they were truly all gone from the region, then the forest would be a perfect place for nymphs to start living in.

She sat on the floor and kept reading about nymphs and their abilities and history. She had never before been so interested in a magical creature.

The bell rang, signaling the end of their free period. Ginny got up, put the book back on the shelf and returned to Hermione who was packing up.

"Hey, listen," said Hermione, pulling her bag over her shoulder and speaking in a low voice. "I'm going to be done in about forty five minutes, so if you want to meet me in the bathroom—"

"Yeah, definitely!" said Ginny perking up.

Hermione grinned mischievously.

"Alright," said Hermione. "The password to get in is 'rose'. I'll see you there."

She stepped forward and, under the pretext of giving Ginny a hug, kissed her swiftly on the cheek.

Ginny felt the place where Hermione had kissed her tingle slightly. She grinned as Hermione walked off. Even though she had so long to wait, she felt excitement bubble up inside her.

* * *

Ginny stood by the edge of the pool in the prefects' bathroom with no trace of excitement at all.

It had been over an hour since Hermione's class had started. She had spent the first forty five minutes in the library working on homework to pass the time. When the bell rang for the end of lessons, she had darted up to the fifth floor, her heart thumping madly.

She had enjoyed going through the different taps and testing them out. She had spent about ten minutes carefully adjusting the content to be just right. It was simple, but she thought it might be best not to overload the senses with too many fragrances.

The pool was now full of hot water, a haze of steam rising from the surface. A giant mountain of the cloud-like foam Hermione had mentioned was resting in the middle of the pool, taller than Ginny. She thought she could detect a nice floral scent coming from the foam. The room was filled with multicolored bubbles the size of beach balls that were hovering around a splendid candle-filled chandelier. Each one had a different colored gas inside, possibly different and conflicting perfumes, so she had elected not to pop any and just leave them as decorations.

The only downside to the room was the large painting on the wall, which depicted a beautiful mermaid sitting on a rock. She had watched Ginny curiously from the moment she entered the room, flicking her tail back and forth. Ginny had wondered for a few minutes if it would be wiser to go somewhere else because of this. But the mermaid didn't seem to know English, so it wasn't as if she would be a valuable witness to anybody who asked her about what she'd seen. At least that was Ginny's hope.

Either way, she put the matter aside and decided to ignore the painting if she could. She had removed her shoes and socks and sat with her feet in the warm water, admiring her work, the anticipation making her giddy.

But as the seconds stretched into minutes, she had become less and less excited. She had begun pacing around the room impatiently. What was taking her so long? How long did it take for her to complete a test? Maybe she was writing a full length novel for a question. She tried not to think of the alternative: that it had been too good to be true and she was being stood up.

Finally, her impatience got the best of her and she knelt down by her bag. She pulled out the parchment they had used to communicate in class and wrote:

 _Where are you?_

Nothing happened.

 _Hermione?_

The parchment remained blank. She waited, just in case Hermione was fumbling for her quill or hadn't seen it yet. A minute passed.

Ginny pulled out her wand and the Maraurder's Map. Tapping it, she scanned the map for Hermione's dot. But she wasn't in her classroom, or Gryffindor tower, or the library. Ginny looked around the halls and floors and finally spotted her dot standing...

She frowned down at the map for a few seconds, then stuffed it and her wand back into her bag. She got to her feet, walked to the door of the bathroom, and pulled it open.

"Hermione?"

Hermione jumped, swiveling around to face her.

"Ginny! I was just... just on my way," she said quickly.

"You've just been standing here," said Ginny.

"Well... I..." said Hermione hesitantly. She shuffled her feet and looked at Ginny's shoulder. Then she sighed. "Yes. Yes I have."

"Why?" asked Ginny, an edge to her voice.

"I don't know, I was just..." She paused. "I was just nervous... Ok?"

She looked up at Ginny.

Ginny felt her frustration fade away as she looked into Hermione's face. She looked anxious and worried about how Ginny would react.

"You know you can tell me that, right?" said Ginny quietly. "If you're uncomfortable doing anything, we can call it off. I'm not going to force—"

"No, no, it's not that," said Hermione hastily. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just... a mix."

"A mix of what?"

"Well, I know I must have seemed pretty sure about everything last night, but I was just going with my gut then. So I guess half of me recognizes how wrong this is and wants to just stop and think about it for a few days."

Ginny hesitated, then said, "And the other half...?"

A sheepish grin spread across Hermione's face as she looked up at Ginny.

"Nervous about how good I'll be at it," she said, blushing slightly.

Ginny felt the familiar swooping sensation in her chest and grinned back.

"So, which half do you fall on?" she asked, holding her breath.

Hermione thought for a moment, biting her lip. Then she turned around and shut the door behind her. There was a click as the she locked it. Ginny felt her heart jump up into her throat as Hermione turned back to her and walked forward.

Without saying a word she leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips.

Ginny let herself float blissfully for a few seconds, enjoying the feel of her lips and the smell of her hair. For that moment the only real thing in the world was Hermione's soft lips pushing against her's. Then she slid her hands under Hermione's robes and around to her back, massaging her through her thin white shirt.

Hermione moaned into Ginny's mouth and flexed her back, silently asking Ginny to press harder. Ginny complied and Hermione slumped into her a little. She continued to knead and rub Hermione's back for another few seconds.

Ginny broke the kiss and pulled Hermione's school robes off her. Hermione did the same to her and they raced to see who could unbutton the other girl's shirt the fastest. Ginny won and she pulled Hermione's shirt open, revealing her bra. She stared openly at her cleavage while Hermione finished unbuttoning her shirt. It was only then that she remembered she hadn't worn a bra that day. Hermione's eyes widened and she blushed scarlet. They stood looking at each other's chests before leaning in to resume kissing again. Ginny could feel the soft fabric of Hermione's bra brush against her bare nipples and smiled into her mouth.

Ginny began kissing Hermione's jaw line like she had done last night, moving down to suck on her adam's apple. Hermione hummed contentedly and leaned her head back, exposing more of her neck. Ginny continued to kiss lower and lower, reaching behind Hermione and working on the bra strap under her shirt. She undid it quickly and let it fall.

She stopped kissing Hermione's collarbone to admire her breasts, taking in every detail of them as if it was her last chance to see them. Her red and gold tie rested between her breasts, somehow making her look sexier than if she was completely naked. Her smooth skin caught the orange sunlight coming through one of the windows and she saw that her nipples were slowly hardening under her gaze, poking out like tiny little top hats. Hermione was looking at her, biting her lip and waiting for her to act.

Without thinking, Ginny lowered her head, placed her lips over a nipple and very lightly sucked on it. Hermione sighed and slowly pulled her shirt and tie off.

Ginny raised a hand and started massaging her other breast. She kneaded and rubbed at the nipple in tight circles, pinching it slightly. After a while, she switched breasts. Her fingers slid easily around the slick nipple she had just sucked on, causing Hermione to moan out loud.

Hermione started to take off Ginny's shirt and tie for her. Ginny stood up straight to help pull her shirt up and over her head.

Hermione took hold of her face and pulled her into another kiss. They turned their heads, deepening the kiss, each licking the other's tongues with enthusiasm. Hermione stepped back and pulled Ginny's head back down impatiently. Ginny looked up into Hermione's eyes and grinned, turning her attention to her breasts.

She wasted no time teasing but covered one of Hermione's nipples with her mouth and began licking it. Hermione moaned and pulled Ginny's head closer to her breast. Ginny's brain was fogging up with excitement. The feeling of Hermione's nipple in her mouth was making her feel almost lightheaded with enjoyment. She wanted to do this everyday for the rest of her life.

Ginny bit down on her nipple and Hermione cried out suddenly. She pulled back quickly.

"I'm sorry! Did I hurt you?" she asked anxiously.

"No!" Hermione said hastily. "Keep doing it!"

Ginny went back to sucking on her nipple a little pink in the face. She alternated between biting down exceedingly gently on her nipple and licking it roughly. Hermione moaned again, her breathing becoming more ragged.

"You can bite a little harder," she gasped.

Ginny obeyed and Hermione bit her lip, tiny squeaks escaping from her with every bite. Ginny wanted to lower her hand and rub between her legs, to feel some kind of friction, but part of her resisted, knowing it would be best to wait.

She reached down and started to pull Hermione's skirt down her legs. Ginny felt excitement shoot through her again as the fabric fell down Hermione's legs to rest around her feet, revealing her panties. Hermione stepped out of her skirt and kicked it away. Ginny started to kiss her way down Hermione's abdomen. As she got to her knees, they looked into each other's eyes. Ginny could see the same eagerness she felt mirrored in Hermione's face.

They looked at each other for a few seconds, then Hermione nodded.

Ginny lowered her eyes to Hermione's panties and felt her stomach lurch. There was a small wet spot in the middle of the fabric. She leaned forward and kissed it, sliding her hands up and down Hermione's legs. Hermione closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath. She placed a hand on Ginny's head, not, it seemed, to push her in, but to communicate to her how well she was doing. She ran her fingers through Ginny's hair, massaging her head.

Ginny could feel the shape of Hermione's pussy under the wet fabric every time she licked it. The feeling made her quiver and lick harder. She moved her hands around to Hermione's ass and squeezed. Hermione's hips bucked forward and she gasped as they pressed into Ginny's face. Ginny reached up behind Hermione and hooked her fingers under the lip of her panties, pulling them down.

Hermione's panties fell down to her ankles and she stood before Ginny wearing nothing but her shoes and knee high socks. Ginny leaned back to look at her. Her body looked like the most beautiful thing in the world.

Hermione was looking down at her and rubbing her arms nervously. Her face was bright red and she was breathing heavily, her breasts rising and falling. She was also shivering slightly.

"Do you want to go in the foam now? It's pretty warm," asked Ginny.

"Yeah," said Hermione, her voice a little shaky from nerves.

She bent down and pulled her shoes and socks off. Ginny took off the remainder of her clothes, watching Hermione's swaying breasts intently. It struck her suddenly that they were actually going to do this. She was going to make love to her and this time, not only would they both be fully conscious of it, but she might actually get a bit of pleasuring in return.

Hermione seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Ginny. Her face was glowing like a beacon, but she grinned over at her with an eager look on her face. As Ginny pulled her slightly wet panties down her thighs, Hermione ran over to the pool and jumped in with a loud splash that echoed around the room. Ginny stumbled her way over, her legs getting tangled in her panties slightly. She threw them over by the pile of discarded clothes just as Hermione surfaced.

"It's perfect! Come on in!" said Hermione.

Ginny leaped in, curling into a ball and holding her nose. Perfectly warm water rushed past her and she felt like moaning with satisfaction. She opened her eyes under the water and quickly found the blurred shape of Hermione's nude body treading water near her. She took a moment to stare between her legs before she swam forward and tickled her feet, causing her to spasm suddenly.

Hermione tried to grab her, but she swam around and surfaced on her other side.

"Don't do that!" shouted Hermione.

They laughed and splashed at each other for a while, the sounds echoing off the walls. Ginny swam forward and grabbed Hermione's hands to stop her from splashing her and kissed her. Hermione struggled for a moment, then fell into the kiss, running her fingers through Ginny's wet hair.

Their legs got tangled as they tread water, not entirely accidentally, and Ginny felt her thigh rub up against Hermione's pussy. Hermione gasped and looked into Ginny's eyes.

They looked at each other for a few moments, their noses touching and their breath mingling.

"Hermione?" said Ginny.

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to have sex with me?" she asked bluntly.

Hermione gulped, her face redder than ever and her expression excited. The warmth from the water seemed to be heightening Ginny's arousal. She felt a throbbing between her legs.

"Yes, I do," said Hermione.

Ginny felt her heart give a huge bound as butterflies filled her chest. She smiled widely at Hermione.

"Follow me," she said in a voice that was half seductive, half quivering with excitement.

She turned and swam towards the mountain of foam in the middle of the pool. She kept her legs spread, very aware of the fact that Hermione was watching her. She felt so free and erotic, swimming around naked with her.

She reached the mountain of white foam and placed a hand on its edge. It felt weirdly solid, like a giant floating pillow. She pulled herself awkwardly onto the foam as if it was a raft. It was like nothing she had ever felt; warm and bubbly, cushiony and wet. Hermione hadn't been lying, it was seriously comfortable.

She leaned over and helped Hermione onto the foam. Once they were on it they crawled up to the center of the mountain, the foam sinking a few feet. She felt like a kid again, climbing onto a mountain of pillows in her house. Finally, they sat together in the center of a bowl shaped raft of warm foam.

Hermione took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"It smells so nice." she said. "Did you make it smell like roses on purpose? Like the password?"

"Um... Yeah, totally meant for that to happen," said Ginny in an impressive voice.

Hermione laughed and leaned in. Their lips connected again and Ginny felt her whole body relax. She lifted her hands and slid her fingers around Hermione's wet breasts, squeezing and massaging them. Ginny pushed her forward and laid on top of her.

She looked down into Hermione's eyes. Their breasts were pressed together and Ginny's red hair tickled Hermione's face. They gazed at each other for a few seconds, Ginny taking every detail of Hermione's beautiful face.

She crawled down and started planting kisses along Hermione's chest. She stopped at one of her breasts, feeling the hard nipple poke against her tongue as she ran it up and down her wet skin. She bit down and Hermione gasped, reaching down to run her fingers through Ginny's wet hair. She pulled her hair out of her face and Ginny looked up at her, pulling at her nipple with her teeth.

Hermione moaned and pushed her head further down her body. Ginny kissed and sucked on Hermione's skin all the way down. She slid herself so that she was in position with her head above Hermione's pussy. She looked up between her breasts at Hermione and grinned. Hermione was flexing her thighs slightly, clearly impatient.

Ginny looked down and without hesitation placed her whole mouth over Hermione's warm pussy. Hermione moaned and bucked forward, but Ginny held her down. She roughly licked up and down, flicking her tongue forward and entering her wet pussy. She sucked at the flesh, kissing it as deeply and strongly as she could.

Hermione was grinding steadily into Ginny's face. She lifted her legs and placed them over Ginny's shoulders, pulling her closer. She was panting and holding fistfuls of Ginny's hair, her head laid back and her eyes shut. She pushed Ginny's face deeper into her bucking hips and Ginny responded by sticking her tongue deep into her, licking around inside her.

Hermione was letting out a string of squeaky moans, her legs shaking. Juices were starting to leak from her, wetting Ginny's mouth and lubricating her lips as they rubbed against Hermione's pussy. Her nose was pressed against Hermione's clit and she did her best to rub against it. Hermione began to convulse, her moans louder than before. Ginny redoubled her efforts, licking and sucking harder than ever.

She felt Hermione's walls close tightly around her tongue as fluids gushed from her. Hermione's legs clamped around her head, holding her in place as she did her best to keep eating her out. She lapped at her pleasure, drinking it up as Hermione's orgasm passed.

Hermione grew limp, her legs falling back into the foam. Ginny sat up, licking her lips and grinning down at her.

"That was fast," she said. "You sure you don't want to pace yourself?"

"Take it as a compliment," Hermione panted, her eyes still closed. "And we're not done yet."

Ginny climbed over Hermione's body laid on top of her, pressing her naked body against her's. She leaned down and kissed her, allowing Hermione to taste herself on Ginny's lips. Their tongues met and they enjoyed the feel of each other for a minute. Ginny ran her fingers under the stiff foam with difficulty and held the back of Hermione's head. She could feel Hermione's heartbeat mingling with her own as they pressed their breasts together.

Hermione suddenly took hold of Ginny and rolled the two of them over so that she was straddling Ginny's waist.

"My turn," she said, a purr in her voice.

Ginny grinned up at her, her face burning with anticipation. She could feel her blood pumping through her body as Hermione lowered herself to one of her breasts.

She took one of her nipples in her mouth and sucked on it. Ginny gasped as pleasure rippled through her body. She leaned back and tried to press her chest into Hermione's mouth. Hermione's wet tongue slid over her stiff nipple and Ginny shivered as tingles emanated from the spot.

Hermione continued to kiss and suck her nipple until the burning in Ginny's core prompted her to push Hermione downwards. Hermione very slowly and tantalizingly licked her way down Ginny's abdomen, her wet hair dragging along her skin. She lifted a hand and started to play with the nipple she had been sucking on. She rolled and pinched the slick nub, sending jolts all throughout Ginny's body and causing her to moan aloud and close her eyes.

Finally, after what felt like hours Hermione reached the spot. She ran her tongue slowly over Ginny's clit first, taking it in her mouth and sucking on it lightly. Ginny's eyes shot open and she covered her mouth with her hand to stop herself from crying out. Her brain felt like it was fogging up. Every particle of her being was tingling with pleasure. She started to grind her hips into Hermione and grasped her other breast. She squeezed at it as Hermione continued to play with her other nipple.

Hermione ran her tongue up and down Ginny's pussy. She was clearly inexperienced, but she seemed to be giving it her all. Ginny reached down with her other hand and massaged Hermione's head, trying to encourage her. Every time her tongue entered her, she tried to scoot herself into it and pull Hermione closer.

Hermione's lips left Ginny for a moment and she was on the point of protesting when she felt Hermione place a finger inside her. She gasped and instinctively clamped her legs around Hermione's head. Hermione retracted her finger and looked up at her.

"Sorry! I—" she began.

"No! Don't stop!" moaned Ginny. "Put it back!"

Hermione hastened to obey, delicately pushing her finger back inside her pussy. Ginny relaxed her legs, opening up to Hermione's finger. She slowly began to grind her hips, feeling the finger move deeper into her. She closed her eyes and started to pant, a wide grin on her face. To have someone else's finger inside of her was one of the most amazing feelings she had ever experienced. Better by far than anything she had ever done to pleasure herself.

She began to build up a rhythm, grinding her hips forward when Hermione pushed her finger into her. She lifted her hands and pushed her breasts around, her mouth open and her breathing ragged.

Hermione brought her lips back to Ginny's pussy and continued to kiss and suck it while she fingered Ginny. She flicked her tongue over her clit and Ginny moaned as a wave of pleasure filled her brain. A little fluid escaped her, dampening Hermione's finger and making it slicker than before.

Ginny bucked her hips into Hermione's thrusting finger, wanting it deeper inside her. Hermione seemed to get the idea and added a second finger. Ginny gasped and moaned, squeezing at her breasts harder and pinching the nipples.

She ground her hips a little faster and Hermione replied by thrusting faster. They were picking up speed and Ginny could feel an enormous orgasm building up inside her. Hermione was licking her up and down, sucking on her pussy with soft, wet lips.

Now Ginny was grinding earnestly into Hermione's finger, desperate for release. She kept her nipples pinched between two fingers, roughly rolling them to ensure a constant thrill of pleasure. She closed her eyes and let the sensations and scent of roses wash over her.

Hermione sucked hard on her clit and at the same time made a "come hither" motion with her fingers, brushing up against a spot on Ginny's inner wall.

Ginny's back rose off the foam as pleasure exploded through her body and mind. She felt herself release as fluids flowed from her, wetting Hermione's mouth and thrusting fingers. She opened her mouth in a silent yell and clamped her legs around her just as Hermione had done to her. Contentment and satisfaction filled her being and she made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a moan.

Her body relaxed and she sank into the foam, giggling slightly. She felt entirely spent.

"That..." she panted, "...was amazing."

Hermione crawled up to her and they wrapped themselves in each other, locked in a firm kiss. Unnoticed by either of them while they had been grinding and moving around, they had sunk further into the foam and now had walls of comfortably warm foam around their sides. Ginny felt unbelievably blissful as she lay intertwined with Hermione. The taste of her own sex on Hermione's mouth and the smell of roses filled her. She wanted to stay here forever in this comfy bed of foam with Hermione pressed up against her.

Her stomach gave a loud growl.

They started to laugh, and once started, it was difficult to stop. Their bodies shook against each other and Ginny looked up into Hermione's glowing face.

"Are you hungry, too?" asked Ginny, hiccuping herself back to seriousness.

"No, I just had dessert," said Hermione, nuzzling Ginny's nose.

Ginny blushed and grinned up at her.

"Hermione, you know what I mean," she said.

"Well," said Hermione. "I could go for seconds..."

Ginny laughed and kissed her again. She could feel Hermione's smile on her lips.

Hermione's stomach growled, too. Ginny giggled into Hermione's mouth and broke the kiss.

"Dinner?" she asked.

"Yeah," said Hermione, sitting up.

They slid off the mountain of foam and into the hot water of the pool. Ginny drifted in the soothing water for a moment, then struck out for the edge of the pool. She climbed out and walked over to Hermione, who was facing away from her and bending over her bag in a very obvious manner.

Ginny gazed at her body, taking in the curve of her wet hips and her pussy nestled between her legs. She wanted to reach out and rub every inch of it, to feel her smooth skin on her tongue.

Hermione stood up and looked around at her. Ginny's immediate reaction was to look at something else, but she figured it didn't really matter now, so she stared at the rest of her body unashamedly.

Hermione took her wand and, with a complicated flick, dried herself off in an instant. Her hair poofed out suddenly into its normal bushy state and Ginny giggled.

They dried off and got dressed, glancing at each other every so often. Ginny could barely contain herself. They had had sweet hot sex together. She wanted to relive it over and over again, to stay in this room forever, constantly making love with Hermione, but she was tired and hungry and knew that this was only just the beginning. It was going to be a very fun year.

They exited the bathroom and walked down to the Great Hall together. They kept close, bumping into each other and occasionally brushing hands. Ginny couldn't stop grinning.

They talked about nothing in particular. Homework and Hermione's exam. It was getting late in the evening now and shafts of orange light were shining through the windows as the sun set.

They had just rounded the corner into the Entrance Hall when Hermione said, "We should get started on that Herbology homework after dinner. I'll look over your essay if you want."

She looked around.

"Where's your bag?" she asked.

Ginny looked around too.

"I think I left it in the bathroom," she muttered. "I'll be right back."

She turned to leave.

"Ginny?" said Hermione.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks, for the good time. I'd love to do it again."

She smiled at Ginny and winked.

Ginny blushed and winked back at her. She turned and made her way back up to the fifth floor, thinking about Hermione. They still hadn't talked about what they were going to do about Harry and Ron. Even though Ginny felt like she could spend all day making love, they needed to talk. After all, they were going to see them again in a couple of months over the Christmas break. She didn't want to think how awkward that was going to be.

After a few minutes of walking, she got to the door to the bathroom.

"Rose," she said, and the door clicked.

She pushed herself inside and shut the door behind her. She turned around to face the room and had to stifle a yell.

A prefect had entered the bathroom while they had been gone. She was naked and sitting on the edge of the pool, facing away from her and looking up at the mermaid painting.

"Uh, hey," said Ginny timidly. "Um, sorry to barge in like..."

The girl turned. Ginny felt as if all the air had been knocked out of her lungs. Her whole body stiffened in shock.

The girl smiled at her, her long black hair glistening down her back and her purple eyes reflecting the setting sun shining through the window.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

* * *

"Well, hello again," said the nymph, still smiling.

Ginny merely gaped at her, her mouth hanging open.

The nymph giggled and got to her feet. She had clearly just been in the pool. The mountain of foam Ginny and Hermione had made love on had broken into several large chunks, floating around on the still steaming water. Ginny wondered if she had been in it, given the fact that she had some of the foam on her body and in her hair.

She looked incredibly alluring, the water making her smooth skin glisten and soap suds sliding slowly down her body. She showed no sign of embarrassment from her complete lack of clothes or from the lingering awkwardness of their first meeting.

"Lovely decorations," she said, looking around. "I've never seen bubbles this big or beautiful."

She looked up at a bubble that was hovering a foot above her.

"Thanks," said Ginny hesitantly, her eyes on the nymph's body.

The nymph reached up at the bubble and ran her fingers across its surface. Ginny saw her fingertips vanish slightly as ripples formed in the bubble and knew that she had turned them to water simply for the sensation of feeling the bubble. She looked fascinated, like a kid in a toy store. After a few seconds, she lowered her hand slowly, bringing the bubble down until it was floating in front of her.

"Um... How did you get in here?" asked Ginny.

"Pipes," said the nymph offhandedly, still looking at the bubble.

Ginny frowned at her.

"And how _long_ were you in here?"

The nymph lifted her eyes to Ginny, a smirk playing across her lips.

"You mean you spied on us?!" said Ginny angrily.

"Don't sound so shocked," said the nymph. "I wouldn't have missed it for anything. What was it she said, 'take it as a compliment'? That was one of the hottest displays I've seen in a while. And besides," she looked down at the swirling bubble in her hands. "You're not really one to talk, are you?"

"Well," muttered Ginny, her face a little pink. "That doesn't mean it's not wrong,"

"Doesn't mean I can't pay you back," the nymph retorted. "We're even now."

They stood in silence for a while. Ginny still felt annoyed at the fact that the nymph had spied on her during her private time with Hermione. But at the same time she felt like she should apologize for what she did last night, even if the nymph wasn't going to apologize for her bit of spying. She marshaled her thoughts, getting distracted slightly by the nymph's body.

"Look," said Ginny slowly, and the nymph looked up from the bubble. "I'm sorry about what happened last night. I know how awkward and embarrassing it must have been for you..."

She sighed. There was no point beating around the bush.

"It was wrong of me to spy on you and masturbate to you," she said, blushing deeply. "It was weird and perverted and I'm sorry. If there's anything I can do for you to forgive me, just let me know."

The nymph looked at her for a moment, then smiled again. She looked down at the bubble and ran both her hands across the surface, admiring the swirling colors of the liquid.

"Do you know why I ran from you, when I realized you were watching me?" she asked.

"Uh, because it was mortifying?"

The nymph laughed softly. The sound sent a pleasant shiver up Ginny's skin.

"It's not really in our nature to be embarrassed," she said. "No, it was because people are rarely... gentle when they find me."

The bubble popped suddenly and she looked up. Her smile had faded slightly and she was looking at Ginny as though she was sizing her up.

"You have nothing to apologize for. I've had far worse people who never apologize for any of the things they do. Or try to do," she added darkly. "To be honest, I'm fine with you spying on me whenever you want. It's so rare that I'm found by an especially beautiful young woman with such a kind heart."

Normally such a complement from a stranger would have made her roll her eyes dismissively, but as it was coming from the supernaturally gorgeous, sopping wet girl standing naked in front of her, Ginny couldn't help but feel a little boost in self esteem. She blushed a little, her eyes darting down to the nymph's breasts and back to her face.

"So..." she said slowly. "Why are you here then?"

The nymph looked at her for a moment, then started walking towards Ginny, who reached for her wand instinctively. Then she remembered it was in her bag, lying ten feet away by the edge of the pool. She started backing up.

"I've been looking for you," said the nymph quietly. "Ever since what happened last night, I've wanted to talk to you..."

Ginny bumped up against the door of the bathroom. She pressed herself to it as the nymph walked nearer and nearer.

"I've wanted to touch you..."

Ginny started feeling for the doorknob with her right hand, her heart thumping loudly. They were a foot apart.

The nymph leaned in so that Ginny could feel her soft breath and see every detail of her beautiful, flawless face. The scent of roses filled her, along with something wild that made her think of the forest. The nymph was gazing at her with those deep, mysterious purple eyes. Ginny found herself staring into them, getting lost.

"I've wanted to kiss you."

She very slowly closed the distance between them. Ginny could still fight back and escape, but she was paralyzed, unable to move a muscle.

The nymph's lips were millimeters from her's. Ginny's brain felt jammed. She was holding her breath.

She closed her eyes.

"But you haven't, have you?"

Ginny opened her eyes. The nymph was still standing an inch away from her.

"You've had someone else to touch and kiss, haven't you?" she said, smirking again. "What was her name... Hermione, wasn't it? Well, I wouldn't want to get in the way of your sex life, but if you ever wanted a helping hand..." The nymph brushed her hand against the inside of Ginny's thigh, causing her to gasp. "...I'd be more than happy to offer mine."

She grinned and turned her back on Ginny, walking over to the pool. Her hips swayed from side to side as she walked, drawing Ginny's gaze.

"What a weird and unusual name, 'Hermione'," said the nymph, still walking. "Did you ever wonder where it was from?"

Ginny was still taking slow breaths to calm herself, but she felt angry with the nymph now. Partly because of her slight on Hermione's name, and partly for teasing her almost to the point of wanting to kiss her.

Almost.

"No," she said defiantly to the nymph's back. "And it's not weird or unusual, it's beautiful and... unique."

The nymph smiled over her shoulder at her, standing on the edge of the pool.

"It's Greek."

She faced forward and stepped onto the water. She didn't fall in, but simply walked to the middle of the pool. Her feet bent the water very slightly, like an insect floating on the surface. The large chunks of foam around her looked like white bushes as high as her waist.

Ginny watched her, amazed both at this new ability and her knowledge of Hermione's name.

"What's your name, then?" she asked.

The nymph turned and faced her, smiled more widely.

"Maera."

The nymph's body turned to shiny clear water. It fell into the pool with a loud splash, sending out deep ripples. Ginny continued to stare at the center of the pool, wondering if she was still there, watching her.

"Your name's even more unusual!" she shouted at the water.

Nothing happened.

She marched over to her bag and picked it up. As she walked back to the door, she glanced at the rippling water. There was no sign of the nymph.

 _Maera_ , she thought darkly, pulling the door open. _What a stupid name._

* * *

Ginny lay awake in her bed later that night listening to the other girls' slow breathing around her. She and Hermione had still not gotten the chance to talk about their relationship. Ginny wondered if they would get to it tomorrow.

She was thinking about everything that had been going on over the last couple of days and couldn't sleep. She had experienced so many strange things in her life, but never had she experienced anything that had screwed with her emotions as much as the last three days.

However, she had a feeling things were only going to get worse. Now she had to deal with someone that knew about their secret, a nymph who probably couldn't be trusted and was only going to toy with Ginny's emotions further.

What was Hermione going to say when she found out about the nymph? Would she be jealous or angry? And of course there was still Harry. What was going to happen when he found out about all of this?

 _If he finds out about it, which he sure as hell won't_ , thought Ginny.

The very last thing she wanted was Harry learning about anything that had happened, or Ron for that matter. It would ruin the relationships between the four of them. This was going to have to be between Hermione and herself. If Harry and Ron were ever going to find out, Ginny was determined it would only be because she and Hermione mutually decided to tell them, for whatever idiotic reason.

 _Or if the nymph tells someone. Fuck._

Would she though? We're nymphs good at keeping secrets? Probably, seeing how they dealt with people on an intimate level all the time. They would have to be at least a little confidential about the people they met. But what if they weren't? Ginny wasn't even sure the nymph knew the scope of her crimes. Maybe she thought Ginny was just some girl in a relationship with some other girl, and not the catalyst for a potentially life ruining scandal involving one of the most famous wizards of the age, herself, her new girlfriend and her brother.

Ginny had so many unanswered questions, so many uncertainties. She didn't even know if the nymph would be a potential threat to her or Hermione.

There was only one thing she could do to make sure: confront the nymph.

She lay for a moment, wondering when she should go to her. It was probably a good idea to wait until tomorrow evening. She was already relaxed and ready for bed...

 _Fuck it, I'll go now_ , she thought, pulling the sheets off.

She couldn't just lay here and sleep, she need to act. She didn't feel tired at all. In fact, she felt a lot like she had on those occasions when she had sneaked off at night over the last month. Only this time, she was doing something productive and serious.

As silently as she could, Ginny pulled on her jeans and a jacket, stuffing her scarf and gloves into her pocket. She tiptoed over to the door and crept down the stairs and across the dark common room. The dying fire cast a soft red glow around the room as she made her way to the portrait hole.

The Fat Lady was sleeping when she climbed out into the corridor. She closed the portrait quietly and pulled the Marauders Map out.

She made her way down the dark corridors, keeping an eye on the map for anybody who might be nearby. If Filch was walking around, or Peeves, it would complicate things. But it looked like everyone was asleep. Nobody was moving around, except...

Ginny stopped in her tracks, diverted, raising her wand to illuminate the parchment. A dot was walking through the corridor on the floor below her. But it wasn't Filch, or even Peeves.

It was Luna.

Ginny stared at the dot, wondering what she could be doing wandering around at night. She had never known Luna to be out of bed after hours before, except when they had been doing underground work for the DA last year.

She turned and faced the wall next to her where a large tapestry was hung. According to the map, there was a concealed staircase behind it that she could take. She pulled back the tapestry and climbed down the stairs quickly, taking two steps at a time.

She came out at the bottom and pushed the tapestry hiding the entrance out of the way, looking down the hallway. Luna was nowhere to be be seen, but Ginny could see a statue along the wall near where her dot had been.

Ginny walked towards it and whispered, "Luna? It's me."

Luna appeared behind the statue, lowering her wand and smiling.

"Oh, hello," she said in her dreamy voice. "You startled me. I thought Filch was coming down those stairs."

"Yeah, sorry about that," said Ginny. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, just taking a walk," said Luna serenely. "I like the quiet, it helps me think. What about you?"

"I... was going for a walk, too. Then I saw your dot on the map and I came to talk to you."

"Oh, well that was very nice of you," said Luna, smiling. "I haven't talked to you in ages. How are you?"

"I'm..." For a second, Ginny tried to say "fine," but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She hadn't been so not fine in years.

"I've actually been really stressed out, to be honest," she admitted, looking down at Luna's slippers.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," said Luna. "I thought sex was supposed to clear people's heads."

Ginny nodded, not really listening. Then what Luna said clicked into place and she snapped back up to look at her.

"Wh-what? What do you mean?" she spluttered.

"You and Hermione. Or have you two not gotten there yet?" asked Luna.

Ginny felt the heat rise in her face.

"What do you mean, 'me and Hermione'? How did you—"

"It was kind of obvious," said Luna calmly.

Ginny looked up and down the corridor as though she expected to see students eavesdropping on their conversation. Even though they were clearly alone, she didn't like the idea of staying out in the open.

"Lets go in here," she said hastily, gesturing to the door next to them.

They snuck in together and Ginny closed the door just as Luna lit her wand tip. They were standing in a shabby looking broom closet. Crates of Mrs Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover were stacked along a wall with several non-magical looking broomsticks propped up against them. Luna sat herself up on the crates as Ginny lit her wand too.

She looked at Luna for a second before asking again, "How did you know?"

"It's the way you look at each other. Like you constantly feel the need to be locked together."

Ginny felt herself blush again.

"But you haven't told anyone?... Have you?"

"No," said Luna simply. "I figured if you wanted people to know, you would have said something. And it looked like you wanted to keep it private."

Ginny let out a sigh of relief. She had never really appreciated just how good a friend Luna was. Why hadn't she talked to her about all of this before? She could have gone to her back in September and it would have saved her a whole lot of confusion and stress. The fact that she now had someone to talk to with whom she trusted was so relieving, she almost laughed.

After a second or two, Ginny pulled herself together and looked up at Luna again. She was watching a spider crawl up one of the crates with a vague look on her face.

"Thank you," said Ginny. "You don't know how nerve wracking the last few days have been for me."

"Well, do you want to talk about it? Daddy always says talking to someone about your problems helps," asked Luna, looking away from the spider.

Ginny hesitated for a moment before making her decision.

"Yeah, I think I need to."

She began to talk, and the more she spoke, the lighter she felt. The weight of her guilt seemed to slide off of her as she told Luna about all that had happened, from her growing feelings towards Hermione to their first time together in the unused classroom to their time in the prefect's bathroom. It felt so good to get everything off her chest.

Almost everything. She still didn't feel comfortable telling anyone about the nymph yet. There was too much guilt there for her to tell anyone, including Luna. While she talked, she decided that she wasn't going to tell anyone, at least until she knew more about what was going on and had a handle on the situation. Part of her knew she was just putting it off, and that it would be good for her to talk about it, but she was just too embarrassed to share it.

When she had finished speaking, Luna gazed at her with her normal protuberant eyes.

"So when are you planning to tell Harry?" she asked.

"I don't plan on telling him anything," said Ginny shortly. "Do you know what that would do to him? To us? We'd split up for good this time. And Ron and Hermione? They'd split up too and he's my brother and she's Harry's friend and..."

Ginny stopped and sighed, leaning against the door frame.

"I just couldn't do that. We're going to have to keep this a secret, just between us. You promise not to tell anyone, ever?"

Luna stared unblinkingly at her for a moment.

"You're not giving Harry enough credit," she said. "I think you should talk to him and work this out together. Isn't that the whole point of a relationship?"

"Well, no— I mean yes, but..." said Ginny, running her hand through her hair. "It's not that easy. Something like this..."

She didn't know what to say. What Luna said made sense. It would be better to work through it together, but could they?

"Haven't you ever had a secret that you know you'll never tell someone?" asked Ginny.

"Yes, I do," said Luna. "But it's not the same as this. It doesn't hurt anyone I love. If I were you, I'd tell him."

"You don't understand—"

"Yes I do. Harry has a right to know."

"I'm not going to tell him if it destroys our relationship. If—"

"It's not already?" said Luna, hopping down from her perch and facing Ginny. Ginny stared.

"Excuse me?!"

"You've cheated on him with your best friend because he's not here to pleasure you. You have to tell him. If you have to keep secrets from your boyfriend, then the two of you don't belong together."

Ginny gaped at her. Anger was bubbling up inside her like acid. She balled up her hands, clutching her wand tightly.

"Take that back." she said stiffly.

"No," said Luna calmly. "You already know it's true. If you can't tell him, then you don't deserve him. You can't just jump on the first person who'll take you when the person you love is away. You acting like a slut who—"

There was a loud bang and a flash of light. Luna flew backwards into the crates with a crash. Ginny turned and yanked the door open, striding out of the cupboard and down the hallway.

The sound of splintered wood and Luna's groans faded away as she marched around the corner and down the stairs. She was so angry, she didn't even want to think about what she had just done. How could Luna say that to her? She had never called her a slut, or anything else for that matter.

But then, when she was halfway down the staircase,

"PEEVES!"

It was the unmistakable hunting cry of Filch. Ginny jumped and twisted around to look up the stairs. She could hear him shuffling down the corridor, huffing and puffing all the way. She hesitated for a moment, then crept back up the stairs for a better look. When she got to the top, she peeked around the corner and saw him enter the broom cupboard, yelling with rage.

"Oh no," she breathed.

She pulled back and fumbled for the Marauders Map in her pocket, taking it out and searching for Luna feverishly. She found her within seconds, making her way up the stairs on the opposite side of the hallway. Ginny leaned against the stone wall and slid her hand over her face.

She felt terrible now. She had attacked one of her best friends. If she had hurt her any more than she had already, Luna might not have gotten away in time and would be in detention because of her.

She hesitated for a fraction of a second, then turned and walked down the staircase, reaching the entrance hall several minutes later. She left the warmth of the castle behind her as she stepped out into the cold, dark night.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

* * *

The night sky was overcast and dark, the air brisk with that funny smell that always proceeded snow. The moon and stars were blocked from view and Ginny stumbled on the uneven ground, unable to see where she was stepping. Chilly air bit at her face as she walked across the lawns, the lights of Hagrid's cabin growing steadily larger. She pulled out her scarf and gloves and put them on, shivering slightly.

Every ten feet or so, she slowed to a stop, wondering if she should go back. She wanted to apologize to Luna and find out if she was okay, but at the same time, she paradoxically didn't want to see or talk to her. Every time she deliberated, she managed to convince herself that she needed to move forward.

She had a job to do.

Her shadow stretched over the enormous pumpkins as she passed Hagrid's hut. She felt a strong urge to knock on the door and go in. It looked so warm and bright inside. Even from out here she could hear a fire crackling merrily in the grate. But she kept going, creeping past the lights quietly, praying Fang wouldn't hear her.

She reached the trees and took the path she remembered from her detention. The silence and the darkness swallowed her and she pulled her wand out for light. Every sound, every twig snapped, every buzz of an insect seemed magnified and sinister.

This was the first time she had ever gone into the forest completely alone, Fang notwithstanding. She could feel the concentrated gaze of whatever creatures lurked just outside her wandlight, watching her, stalking her, waiting for her to lower her guard. Once or twice she twisted around, her heart jumping into her throat, sure that something was standing right behind her, breathing down her neck. But she was met with nothing but the same expanse of dark trees and thorny bushes.

The path sloped downward after a while and the sound of running water slowly began to grow. She was close now. Close to the spot where she had heard the nymph for the first time. The creek grew louder, almost roaring in the silence. The path intersected with it, continuing on the other side.

Ginny turned and stepped off the dirt path, walking upstream through briars and thickets. Her jacket snagged on the branches, but she pressed forward. After a minute or two, she came to the clearing. It was deserted, dark even with the canopy opened to the sky high above her. Ginny sidestepped a tree, blushing faintly and trying not to think about what she had done behind it, and approached the bend.

She crouched by the water's edge and looked around, pointing her wand in every direction to make sure she was alone. She was, at least as far as she could tell. She redirected her focus back to the water.

"Uh... Hello?" Ginny whispered, her voice cutting gently into the night.

She pulled off a glove and reached down, putting her hand in the water. It was frigid, colder than she had expected, sucking the warmth from her hand instantly. She withdrew it quickly and wiped it on her scarf.

The water didn't respond.

"Hello? Are you there? Maera? That was your name, right? Maera?"

The water was again unresponsive.

What did she have to do? Maybe there was a spell that might summon her? Or some other kind of magic? Ginny wracked her brains.

The nymph had been able to find Ginny in the bathroom, but how? Had she been floating around the entire school plumbing, looking for her? That sounded unlikely. She had to have some way of finding Ginny, of sensing where she—

And then the answer came to her. It was so obvious that Ginny couldn't believe it had taken her this long to realize it. And the more she thought about it, the more it became clear that she was right.

There was only was to find out.

She stood and looked around the clearing once more, making sure she wasn't being watched. Then she gingerly put her hand between her legs. She began to rub and squeeze the crotch of her jeans, grinding gently into the hand for added friction. She thought of Hermione, the feel of her warm, soft breasts and the sight of her naked body and before long she felt the wetness between her legs.

She slid her hand underneath her pants and gasped aloud as the cold fingers touched her skin, sliding them down her slightly wet flesh before retracting them quickly. After rubbing the spot with her other hand to warm herself, Ginny knelt down by the water again.

She could still go back. She could find Luna if she wasn't already in bed and apologize to her. Her own bed seemed to call out to her from Gryffindor tower, warm and soft and comfy.

But she needed to know. She needed to make sure the nymph could be trusted with her secret. Her fingers glistened slightly in her wand light as she held them over the water. She hesitated, one last time.

And then she shelved her indecision and plunged her hand into the freezing water. She rubbed her fingers together quickly, washing off whatever pleasure she had left on them and pulled back out. She dried her hand again and pulled her glove on, watching the creek with bated breath.

She held her wand out at the ready. Nothing happened.

Somewhere high above her, an owl hooted in its perch. The water played and the insects buzzed. And Ginny waited.

Then the water in front of her exploded as the nymph shot up and shouted, "BOO!"

Ginny jumped and swore loudly. A jet of light shot out of her wand, narrowly missing the nymph and taking a splintery chunk out of the tree behind her with a loud snap.

The nymph was laughing, a sweet and beautiful sound that only wound Ginny's anger to a higher pitch. She could feel her heart thundering in her chest as the rush of adrenaline subsided.

"What the fuck is your problem?!" she bellowed.

"I'm sorry!" cried the nymph, still laughing heartily. "I couldn't resist!"

Ginny swore again and got to her feet, brushing herself off. She scowled at the nymph and waited for her to calm down. Eventually she subsided into giggles, holding her hand over her smile and looking at Ginny with those deep purple eyes. She was naked as usual. The water rolling down her tanned skin shimmered in Ginny's wand light. Ginny redirected it to the ground, averting her eyes.

"Well well well," said the nymph finally. "What a pleasant surprise. I'm glad to see you again so soon. To what do I owe the _pleasure_?"

Ginny noted the added emphasis she placed on the last word and tried her best not to blush. Of course she had been right.

"I came to see you," she said, her voice calm and confident.

"Ah," said the nymph, her voice silky. "Well, in that case, we should probably go someplace cozier. I already know it's not your first time, so I won't go easy on you."

She was grinning and wiggling her eyebrows playfully at Ginny.

"Not to sleep with you! God, I just came to talk about... about what you saw."

Her frustration at the nymph didn't keep her from blushing though.

 _Focus_ , she thought. _Get your point across and don't let her toy with you._

But that was easier thought than done. The nymph's breasts were sparkling in the dull light, covered in water droplets like dew. They seemed to call to her just like her bed: warm and soft and comfy. It was all Ginny could do to stop herself from glancing at them.

"Can you please put some clothes on?" she asked, keeping her eyes on the blasted tree behind the nymph.

"As you wish, love," said the nymph cheerily.

She walked back to the water. Ginny watched her out of the corner of her eye. Her hips swayed as she walked and when she bent down slowly, facing away from her, Ginny looked up at the owl in the trees, her lips pursed.

The nymph stood up and wrapped herself in the white silk cloak she had produced from the water. It didn't help much. Even if the fabric hadn't been practically see-through, Ginny still would've been able to see her nipples poking against the inside of the cloak. Her cleavage was so open, Ginny thought she would have been better off covering herself with her fingers.

"So," said the nymph. "Let's have a little girl on girl talk—"

"Girl talk," corrected Ginny.

"—about what I saw. I saw two beautiful young women making sweet love to each other on a rosy bed of bubbles. What about it?"

"I need you to keep it a secret," said Ginny, cutting right to the chase. "If it got out that I'm in a relationship with a girl... well, my parents wouldn't be exactly pleased. They're the super religious kind that don't care much for... for people like me. Best case scenario is I get disowned. You have to promise me you won't tell anyone. And that you won't show yourself to Hermione."

She spoke with a sense of authority born out of a need to control the situation. The lie came easy. In truth, she didn't know how her parents would react to her change in sexuality. How they and everyone else she cared about reacted to everything else was more pressing to her, but the nymph didn't need to know that.

"Mmh," said the nymph thoughtfully. "You're hardly the first person to ask me to keep quiet about what I know. Generations of men and women have pleaded with me not to tell their spouses or their family. I'll tell you what I told them: I am very good at keeping a secret."

Ginny knew better than to relax at that.

"For what price?" she asked, crossing her arms.

The nymph looked taken aback, then impressed.

"I always loved interrupting their thanks to say 'for a price' and watching their faces fall. You stole my line."

She crossed her arms too, smiling at Ginny as though she was reconsidering her judgment of her. Ginny felt a small shred of triumph, but she kept her face impassive.

"So? What do you want for your silence?" she asked.

The nymph considered her for a moment, a smirk playing across her lips.

"I want you."

A lead ball fell into Ginny's stomach. She felt a mixture of emotions: anger, exasperation, dread, and even arousal. But surprise was not one of them. A part of her had known the moment she had realized the nymph would want payment.

She took a deep, calming breath.

"And what does that entail?" she asked, trying to sound like she wasn't screaming inside.

"Well," said the nymph slowly. "I get to have you once a week, to do with as I please. At least until the end of the school year. And don't worry, I wouldn't hurt you... unless you're into that."

"No. I'm not," said Ginny stiffly.

"Well, in that case, I would shower you in kisses, lick every inch of your smooth, supple skin, massage and finger you in all the right places, and keep you hanging on the edge of your climax for however long I want until you're begging me to fuck you silly."

Ginny couldn't help but blush. But anger also flared in her, blocking out her arousal. She gripped her wand tightly as the nymph went on.

"And I want you to do the same to me. One night a week, until the end of the school year. And if you neglect to come see me, I'll come to see you, and I'll tell whoever I want about what I saw and the time we spend together. How you moan my name and beg for my touch every week."

"I don't beg," Ginny said through gritted teeth. "What do you think I am, some kind of slut that sells her body just to keep a secret?"

The nymph was looking at her with something almost like appraisal.

"You're as fiery as your hair, you know," she said. "I like that. But I don't like the word 'slut'. It has such a negative connotation. No, I think you're a girl who's scared everyone might learn the truth about her. So scared, in fact, that she climbed out of bed in the middle of the night and walked through a monster infested forest to insist I keep quiet about it."

Ginny couldn't think of a response to that.

"Now," the nymph continued. "If you were willing to do that to keep the truth hidden, what's a few hours out of your week spent actually enjoying yourself instead?"

"I... wouldn't enjoy—"

"Oh I beg to differ," said the nymph, a purr in her voice.

Ginny could feel the heat in her face. Whether it was from anger or arousal, she couldn't tell. She couldn't think of anything assertive to say, so she looked down at the leaves between them and thought. For a long time, neither of them spoke. Ginny could feel the eyes of the nymph on her, waiting for her answer, smirking that stupid smirk of her's.

She knew better than to think the nymph would change her mind. There was no point bargaining with her. Besides, it wasn't like she had any chips to bargain with in the first place. She had no means of blackmailing the nymph back. She thought briefly about raising her wand and threatening the nymph, but it would only make matters worse. Knocking the stuffing out of her wouldn't make people forget what she might tell them.

She had Ginny cornered. Unless she was prepared to let the world know what she had done...

Was she?

Ginny searched herself. Maybe she was. She wasn't afraid. She wasn't scared. She was a Weasley and a Gryffindor, not some child that's too frightened to admit a lie. She didn't cave in to blackmail. And she was not a slut.

She opened her mouth to say so, but then Harry's face flashed before her eyes. What would he do when the truth reached him? How would he react? Would it depress him, make him never speak to her again? Or would he get angry with her? Or violent? Ginny liked to think that she knew him well enough to know, but then again, so did he. He thought she was faithful, waiting patiently for the time of their reuinion. He thought she loved only him.

He was wrong.

Luna was right.

No one must know. No matter what.

 _No matter what._

She exhaled in a long sigh.

"Fine. When do we start?" she said in a tight voice.

"Oh, don't sound so melodramatic," said the nymph happily. "It'll be fun! I'll even teach you a few things you can use on your girlfriend. We can start tonight. And I swear I'll keep my mouth shut, as long as you keep up your end. Do we have a deal?"

She raised her hand out to Ginny. Ginny looked at it for a long moment, then felt her arm reach up and shake it.

The nymph smiled at her again, but not unkindly. There was no complacency or malice in her eyes, but a kind of encouragement that somehow made Ginny feel marginally calmer.

She stepped forward, taking Ginny's hand in her's and sliding it under her cloak to cup her breast. Ginny was surprised at the warmth of her skin, wet as it was. It felt like she had been lounging in a hot bath for hours. The nymph closed the distance between their bodies so that they were only an inch apart. She was taller than Ginny had previously thought, standing just an inch or two above herself and looking down at her with those deep purple eyes. Eyes that glowed with lust and excitement.

Ginny was breathing fast and she could feel the nymph's heartbeat behind her breast. The nymph reached up and held her chin, tilting her face up. Their noses brushed against one another and Ginny's heart fluttered.

"Don't be afraid," said the nymph quietly.

But Ginny was afraid. She wanted to be back in her bed. She wanted more than anything to be with Hermione. She wished with all her heart that the arms that held her were Hermione's. The hands that cupped her face. The eyes that stared into her.

The lips that pressed against her's.

Ginny didn't move. She didn't kiss back. All she knew was the feel of the nymph's lips. Strange, unknown lips. Part of her was screaming, begging her to pull away, to run, to escape. This was all wrong. Everything about this was wrong, but...

But it felt... nice. Ginny found herself floating, focusing on the push and pull of the nymph's lips. The way her tongue slid out and tickled her slightly, not forcing, but asking for permission. And Ginny found herself giving that permission, opening her mouth slowly. The tongue slipped forward and ran across her teeth, finding her own tongue. They touched gently as if to say "hello!"

Ginny became aware of the nymph's nipple under her hand. It was hardening, poking against her palm. Ginny tried to pull away from it, but the nymph leaned forward slightly, pressing it back into Ginny's hand.

If she had to do this, she would get it over and done with as fast as possible. The best way to do that would be to do whatever the nymph wanted. But she would take no pleasure in it. She was determined of that.

So Ginny began to squeeze the breast in her hand. The nymph smiled into Ginny's mouth and hummed lightly. She unwound the scarf from Ginny's neck and tossed it on the ground. She broke away from the kiss to lick and suck at a spot on Ginny's neck. Ginny gasped in spite of herself and unconsciously titled her head to the side, exposing more to the nymph's wandering mouth.

"Don't leave a mark," she said threateningly, the smallest of quavers in her voice.

A slight chill on her chest made her suddenly aware that her jacket had been unbuttoned and opened. The nymph placed gentle hands on her abdomen and slid them around her shirt slowly. She moved over Ginny's breasts lightly, trying to tease her, but Ginny refused to react. So instead, the nymph wrapped her arms around Ginny's waist, sliding down to squeeze her ass.

Ginny tensed, unintentionally shifting forward. She wanted to slap the nymph, but restrained herself with difficulty, keeping her hand cupped to her breast. She clenched her jaw and let the nymph continue, hating herself for not doing anything.

The nymph hooked her fingers under the lip Ginny's jeans and began to slide very slowly around to her front. It was getting harder to breath. Ginny's fingers tensed around the nymph's breast and she felt her quickening heartbeat. After a while, the nymph's fingers slid to the skin right under the button of her jeans, pressing down on the lip of her panties. A second later and the button came undone. She very slowly pulled her zipper down.

Ginny swallowed and pressed her knees together. Every muscle in her body was tensed. What was she doing here? She should be back in bed, dreaming sweet dreams about Hermione, not getting forced into sex with a stranger in the middle of the forest.

 _This is so wrong. This is so fucked up. Why am I doing this? Why haven't I cursed her yet?!_

The nymphs fingers rubbed the front of her panties, feeling the wetness that had collected there.

Ginny shoved the nymph away and stumbled backwards, wiping her neck with her gloved hand. Her face was glowing and she panted as though she had been holding her breath, which she suddenly realized she had actually been doing for the last minute. She glared at the nymph, furious, clutching her wand for safety.

The nymph raised her eyebrows an infinitesimal amount, reminding Ginny in an instant of their deal.

"It's— It's cold... out here," said Ginny. "I should probably get back to the school. I've got classes tomorrow."

The nymph didn't answer. She looked down at her hand. Her fingers glistened slightly as she raised them to her mouth and licked them gently. She smiled.

"Did you hear me?" asked Ginny, a little louder this time. "I said I need to go."

"I heard you," said the nymph, grinning at her. She turned her back on Ginny and knelt over the water. "You're cold and you want this to get this over with quickly."

Ginny swallowed and leaned around the nymph to see what she was doing. The nymph's hand had melted into the water, vanishing from sight.

A shiver ran down Ginny's back that had nothing to do with the cold.

"I didn't mean it like that! Can't we just—"

But it was too late. The surface of the water broke loudly as another nymph popped up, naked and sopping wet. She was tall and lean, her breasts perky and pink just like Ginny's. Her black hair hung in a long shimmering braid over her chest and her bangs stuck to her face. She slid them out of the way to see. Her eyes were purple like Maera's, but were flecked with bright pink. She looked no older than twenty. Ginny noticed a long pale scar that ran across her chest, right under her breasts. It looked out of place on her flawless skin.

Her lighter eyes shone with excitement as she looked around the clearing. She seemed to comprehend what was going on in an instant. She covered her mouth with her fingers and bounced with glee.

"Oooh, Maera! Is this the one? Is this her?"

"Yep," said Maera, turning to grin at Ginny. "See what I mean?"

"I knew you weren't exaggerating," said the new nymph, looking Ginny up and down. "Naira's going to be pissed. We had a bet."

"Since when have I ever exaggerated?"

"That's exactly what I said! I was like, 'Maera's never lied about who she gets, why would you bet she would?' But she still didn't believe you."

"Where is she, by the way?"

"Oh, on her way I suppose. I think I was closer, but she should be here any—"

Ginny cleared her throat loudly and the two nymphs looked at her.

"Ah!" said Maera, getting to her feet. "Where are my manners?"

She started to make the introduction, but paused.

"I only just realized, I never got your name," she said looking at Ginny inquiringly.

"I never gave it out. And for good reason."

"You still don't trust me?"

Ginny scoffed and raised her eyebrows.

"Fine," said Maera. "In that case, we'll call you..."

"Ooh, ooh! Can we call her 'Rose'?" said the other nymph. "You remember that gorgeous redhead girl I had years ago? That was what she had me call her. She was amazing! I always thought it was such a beautiful name."

Maera smiled at Ginny.

"I think that's absolutely perfect. What do you think?"

 _What's with all the roses today?_ thought Ginny.

"Works for me," she said.

"Alright then. Rose, this is Lyra. Lyra, Rose."

The nymph named Lyra smiled and waved at her. Ginny gave a weak smile back, but stayed wary.

"So," said Lyra, looking from Ginny to Maera. "What's the plan? I tasted both of you on the water, but I thought—"

But before she could finish, there was a loud splash as yet another nymph shot up next her, causing Ginny to jump. She looked exactly like Lyra, right down to the shimmer of her pinkish-purple eyes. They were completely identical, except while Lyra's hair was tied in a braid, this new nymph's hair hung free over her shoulders and breasts. She also had no scar on her chest.

"Ah, Rose," said Maera. "This is Naira. She and Lyra are twins."

"Yeah, I can see that," said Ginny, staring at them.

The new nymph was looking at Ginny critically while her sister smirked at her.

"Her hair isn't shining," she muttered to Lyra, who gaped at her.

"Oh my god are you serious?! That's because there's no sunlight to shine off of it, idiot!"

"Don't call me an idiot! You're the one who said—"

"You're such a sore loser! And you just insulted her hair!"

"No I didn't!" She turned to Ginny. "You're hair's gorgeous by the way, I love it," and then back to her sister, "I just said it's different than how she described it."

"Bullshit, you're just sore you lost the bet and now you've gotta—"

"Anyway," said Maera in a loud voice and the twins fell silent. "I brought you two here for a reason. Rose and I made a deal and I need your help fulfilling her end of it for tonight. Take a guess—"

"Sex for silence?" said the twins together in a tone of rising excitement.

"Exactly, but since it's cold, and Rosie here needs to get back to bed, I thought we could speed things up and—"

"I CALL CUNNILINGUS!" yelled Lyra.

The two nymphs scrambled out of the water, pushing each other out of the way. Ginny took a step back and raised her wand.

"No way!" said Naira. "I'm way better than you."

"No, you're not. You can't even stick your tongue out as far as me!"

"I can go way farther than you!"

Lyra stuck her tongue out at her. Naira responded by turning her tongue to water and shooting it forward like a frog, hitting Lyra's eye.

"I think they like you," said Maera in an undertone to Ginny as the twins wrestled and shouted.

As she watched them, Ginny felt a strange urge to laugh. Despite the fact that she was going to be used for sex, she felt oddly comforted by the fact that she would have these two as company. She liked them a lot more than she liked Maera.

But there was something else. A weight that seemed to press on her heart as she looked at the pair of identical siblings grappling with each other.

 _Twins_.

"You can take turns if you want to," said Maera, and the sisters broke apart, still pushing each other. "As long as we finish her off quickly, it doesn't matter who does what. And Rosie's agreed to come back every week for the rest of her school year, isn't that right, Rosie?"

Ginny pursed her lips. She couldn't pretend she wasn't aroused by now. She could feel a traitorous throbbing in her core, but stubbornly suppressed the feeling. She wanted to maintain what little dignity she had left, but she had no choice but to go forward with the deal.

She sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that night.

"Yes, that's right," she said.

"Okay, so you'll both get plenty of chances to do what you want later," said Maera, and the twins looked excited again. "But tonight, we work fast. Ready to start again, Rosie?"

They all looked at her.

"I... yes, but—"

They moved forward as one and Ginny raised her wand. There was a loud bang that echoed around the forest and and a jet of light hit the ground between them, leaving a small, smoking crater. The nymphs jumped backwards.

"But," Ginny continued. She looked around at their apprehensive faces, stopping on Maera. "I want the twins first. Just them for tonight."

Something flickered in Maera's purple eyes, but her face remained calm. Lyra glanced at her uncertainly, but Naira grinned at Ginny.

"I like her!" she announced. She started forward, but her sister stopped her, still looking at Maera.

"Is that ok, Maera?" she asked.

Maera continued to stare at Ginny for a moment. Ginny couldn't tell what she was thinking. Then she smiled at Lyra.

"Sure! Go ahead, I'll just masturbate to you guys, I guess."

She walked over to a tree and leaned against it, crossing her arms expectantly. Lyra still looked conflicted, but her sister took her by the arm and pulled her towards Ginny.

"Come on," she said impatiently. "We've gotta do this fast, remember?"

Lyra finally turned away from Maera to give Ginny a calculating look. Ginny thought she saw something like concern in the nymph's beautiful eyes. Then she smiled.

"Alright," she said, the excitement back in her voice. "Brace yourself."

Ginny had barely enough time to suck in a breath before the nymphs were upon her. They switched off with one another, taking turns to french kiss Ginny with equal fervor. Lyra was undoing her jacket with deft hands while Naira reached over to feel up her breasts.

For some reason, Ginny found she didn't mind anymore. Having Maera touch her had been terrifying, but the fact that she had one up on her and she didn't have to have sex with her for another week made the experience much easier to enjoy. Plus she felt oddly comfortable with the twins.

Ginny's jacket came off faster than she had expected and before she knew it, her shirt was pulled over her head. An instant later, her bra was lying in the ground.

 _It's like they were born for_ _this or something_ , Ginny thought to herself sarcastically.

Then Naira's mouth was at her breast, sucking at it in a way that made Ginny's head spin. She was changing her tongue back and forth between water and flesh and it felt amazing. Ginny pressed her chest forward, and as though she had read her mind, Lyra was there in an instant. She began sucking at Ginny's other breast in the same way.

Ginny looked down at them as they worked and almost came right then and there. They looked so cute and erotic, staring up at her with those pink flecked eyes. Their tongues and lips moved as one, perfectly synchronized with each other and Ginny's needs. Ginny closed her eyes and bent her legs.

Someone's hands pulled down on her jeans and she felt warm fingers touch her wet panties. They pressed into the fabric, pushing it around in all the right places in just the right way. Ginny began to grind her hips into it. Then the hand suddenly pulled her panties down over her thighs and someone pressed their mouth to her.

Ginny moaned and thrust herself forward as pleasure emanated from her core, sending shivers up her body. She looked down and saw Lyra staring lustily up at her from between Ginny's and Naira's breasts. Naira was bent over her, still sucking hard on Ginny's breasts. As she watched, Lyra lifted a hand and started to finger Ginny, thrusting into her wanting core.

Ginny began to shake and grind harder. Lyra pulled her mouth from Ginny and leaned back to press it instead to her twin. She began to lick and suck and Naira grinned and hummed into Ginny's nipple, causing it to vibrate. She and Ginny began to grind together, Naira into her sister's face, and Ginny into Lyra's finger. Ginny was panting as she moved her hips, trying to get the finger inside her to twist and thrust harder and deeper. The finger turned to water and back into flesh with every thrust, keeping up a growing flow of stimulation. It seemed to go deeper and deeper into her as it rubbed up against her inner walls, filling her. Her orgasm had built up inside her and she was teetering on the edge.

She looked up through her ecstasy and saw Maera. She was wearing a strange look that Ginny was too preoccupied to really register, but she did notice that she hadn't moved from her spot. Not an inch.

Naira bit down on the nipple she was sucking and pinched the other one. At the same time, Lyra twisted her finger and rubbed hard up and down. Ginny opened her mouth and closed her eyes as a wave of pleasure rocked up her body from her core, hitting her brain and blocking out everything else.

She and Naira came where they stood, riding it out together. Lyra pulled away from them, a wide grin on her face. Naira leaned up and took hold of Ginny's cheeks, pulling her into a deep kiss. She sucked on her like she had with her nipples, swirling and changing her tongue. Then Lyra got to her feet and pushed Naira aside to give Ginny a much wetter kiss. She tasted Naira's sex on her lips, sweet, warm and wild.

Naira bent and began to slide a hand down Ginny's chest.

"All right! That was pretty good for a first night."

Maera had stood up straight again and was walking towards them with a smile. Naira and Lyra pulled away from Ginny with a groan. A small part of Ginny agreed with them. Maera stepped between the sisters and wrapped her arms around their shoulders.

"Well?" she said. "You said you needed to go."

Ginny looked at her in some surprise, trying to get a read on her. She was smiling her usual smile and her eyes were calm and unrevealing. The twins were still grinning at Ginny, looking at her body. Lyra was licking her glistening lips.

"Yeah," said Ginny, looking back at Maera. "I'll be going now."

She used her wand to clean herself off. As she pulled her pants up, Lyra handed her bra to her.

"Thanks," said Ginny, putting it on over her tingling breasts.

"No problem," said Lyra.

"And any time you feel like coming down to visit—" said Naira.

"—Whether it's just to visit or you want another quickie—" said Lyra.

"—Or a longer session—" said Naira, winking.

"—Just put some of your pleasure in the water and we'll come straight away," finished Lyra, buttoning up Ginny's coat for her. She winked too. She looked cheerful, but Ginny thought she saw a hint of concern again behind the flirtatious smile she was giving her.

"I will," said Ginny. She turned to go.

"I expect to see you same time next week, Rosie," Maera called after her.

She looked back at the three of them. Lyra, her chin still glistening, Naira, who was waving at her, and Maera, standing between them, the only one clothed.

"I will," she repeated.

She turned and walked along the side of the creek back to the path.

As she trudged back through the dark forest, Ginny thought about what had happened. She thought about Maera, and that strange expression she had worn while watching the threeway. She thought of Naira, and how she had held Ginny while they rode out their orgasms together. She thought of Lyra, and the way she had looked at her and Maera, as though she was... scared? Worried? Ginny wasn't sure.

What she did know, however, was that this year was going to be a busy one. She felt ashamed at her cowardice for caving into Maera's demands like that. But as she looked back on it, she had to admit, as far as blackmail went, it could have been a lot worse.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

* * *

Hogwarts awoke to find itself and the surrounding region blanketed in a thick layer of snow. The wind howled all morning, piling drifts up the walls and darkening classrooms as the snow filled the windows. The blizzard seemed to only get worse by midday. Students donned gloves and scarves in the frigid hallways, walking hurriedly from class to warm class.

Despite the poor weather, Ginny felt as if her luck had returned. She had gotten her meeting with Maera out of the way just in time before the snowstorm hit. She didn't want to think what it would have been like if it had started the previous night. And if it kept up, perhaps she wouldn't be required to see the nymph again for more than a week. They hadn't even had sex yet. Although, if Maera was serious about this, she would probably have Ginny carry out her end of the deal inside the school to compensate. Probably in another bathroom.

The thought made her cringe with discomfort. It wasn't as if Maera wasn't attractive. On the contrary, if Ginny hadn't already been taken, twice, she probably would have pounced on her the moment they met, especially given the nymph's willingness to become intimate. But there was just something about her now that made Ginny feel... uneasy.

She had thought for a while that it was her dominant nature that made her so intimidating. She didn't appreciate being humiliated and played with like putty in the nymph's hands. But there was something else. Something in the look she had given Ginny last night as she watched the twins take her.

There was something going on. Ginny didn't know what, but her instinct told her to be cautious.

And then there were the twins. They had seemed nice enough, perhaps a little immature, but they were friends with Maera. It was a frightening thought, but Ginny had the unpleasant impression that Maera could have ordered them to hold Ginny down for her and they would have obeyed.

Nevertheless, Ginny felt the need to trust them. She knew why she was so inclined to see the good in them, but she didn't want to think about that. There was still too much pain there.

She was pretty sure she didn't have feelings for either of them, but given what they had done together just minutes after being introduced, it was a little confusing. It had felt amazingly good, there was no point denying it. The way they had changed and moved their tongues around her skin and they way Lyra's finger—

"You're doing it again."

Ginny started and looked around at Hermione, blushing faintly. They were sitting together in the Great Hall eating lunch.

"Doing what?"

"I just asked you if you were feeling alright and you just stared at your plate."

"Oh, sorry. I'm fine," said Ginny in a noncommittal voice.

She picked up her sandwich and started to eat, very aware of the fact that Hermione was still watching her closely. She laid a hand on Ginny's elbow and Ginny felt a pleasant shiver run up her arm at the touch. She turned to look at her. The corners of Hermione's mouth twitched and she grabbed a napkin.

"You're as bad as Ron," she said, reaching up to wipe a bit of ketchup off of Ginny's cheek. Ginny glanced around hurriedly.

"Hermione, people will see—"

"That you're a messy eater? I think everyone already knows. You can hardly go a meal without getting your food on some part of your face."

"Yeah?" said Ginny slyly. "Well you weren't complaining about my eating skills yesterday."

Hermione's eyes widened and her cheeks glowed scarlet. Unconsciously it seemed, she clamped her legs together. But she had the grace to look haughty and retaliated quickly.

"Well, I've got nothing to judge against. It could be that you're equally poor at both kinds of eating."

Ginny narrowed her eyes.

"Oh? You were very vocal about your opinion then. And I distinctly remember you _complementing_ me."

Hermione's mouth twitched again. Ginny grinned back, waiting. They sat looking at each other for a second before Hermione let out a dignified huff of defeat.

Ginny swept her hair behind her and returned to her sandwich. She absolutely loved teasing Hermione whenever the chance presented itself and she savored her victory with ill disguised superiority.

"But seriously, Ginny," said Hermione as if nothing had happened. "Talk to me. You can tell me anything. What's wrong?"

 _Well, we're cheating on both our boyfriends with each other for a start. I don't know what we're going to do and every possible solution that I can think of involves someone I love getting hurt. I'm such a damn coward that I caved into blackmail to keep it secret and now I'm being used by a non human and her two friends to have sex with weekly. What else? Oh yeah, and I attacked my best friend last night and haven't seen her since._

"I'm just tired."

Hermione gave her a withering look.

"I'm feeling conflicted about my emotions and choices, too," she said. "And I think you're right. It would help to talk about it at length with each other."

Ginny rolled her eyes.

"So you can read minds now?" she asked.

"I've been practicing my Legilimency, yes."

"Wait, you're not... what?" said Ginny, turning to her quickly. "You're joking, right?"

"Of course I am," said Hermione with a wave of her hand. "And even if I wasn't, I wouldn't just invade your mind without telling you."

Ginny tried not to let her relief show too much. If Hermione had learned Legilimency and was seeing what she was thinking...

"Besides," Hermione went on. "It was already etched across your ketchupy face. I wouldn't even need to read your mind."

They sat for a moment in silence.

"You're right," said Ginny, serious this time. "We do need to talk more. But not now, there's too many people."

"Good," said Hermione, sounding relieved.

Ginny turned to her. "What?"

"Well..." said Hermione, shrugging apologetically. "I was beginning to think you didn't want to talk about it."

"Why would you think that?"

Hermione looked uncomfortable and her blush had returned with a vengeance.

"I thought..." she coughed and poked at her food, "you might have only been interested in the... eating part."

"What do you... oh!" Ginny blushed, too.

They sat in silence for a minute as Ginny digested what she had said. Hermione thought she was just interested in sex? Where had she gotten that idea from?

 _Oh yeah, cause sex has been the only thing we've done so far after becoming a couple._

But after all, that's how it had been with her and Harry. The first thing they did after kissing for the first time was go down to the grounds away from prying eyes. The memory of it made her blush again. She wasn't sure whether or not that made it worse. Comparing their relationships wasn't right, it only accentuated the problem. If sex was always the first thing on her mind...

But Hermione had wanted it, too. She was willing to start immediately after confessing her feelings. She had been just as excited to make love as Ginny had been. Hermione was in no position to chastise her...

Or was she?

What had she done with Ron after they confessed their feelings for each other? When had that even been? Perhaps their relationship had progressed slowly, like every healthy relationship should. Perhaps they hadn't even gotten that intimate yet. Perhaps Ginny was the deviant. Perhaps Luna was right about her.

But then again, the alternative was entirely possible. What if Ron and Hermione had been just as eager as her and Harry? Unbidden into her mind came the image of her brother and Hermione embracing in the tent they had lived in last year. They had spent so much time together, day in and day out in each other's company. Months and months living as if they were already married, sleeping so close to one another. Perhaps, when they were sure Harry was sleeping—

Her troubled thoughts were interrupted by the bell. She and Hermione looked at each other.

"Lets go somewhere private," said Ginny. Their Herbology class had been postponed due to the weather, so they had another free period.

Hermione nodded. They got up and left the Hall, climbing the marble staircase together. Ginny was just wondering what they would talk about when something from yesterday came back to her that she had forgotten until now. She thought for a moment about waiting until they could ensure privacy to start talking, but then again, it was a relatively innocuous detail. Or at least, it was supposed to be.

"Hermione?"

"Hm?"

"Um... I know I've never really asked you this before, but uh... where does your name come from?"

Hermione gave her a sideways glance. "Why?"

"I don't know, I just... thought about it for the first time I guess. It's not a very common name, is it?"

"Well, no it isn't," said Hermione.

A beat.

"Well?" Ginny prompted, dreading the answer more than she could show.

"I think my parents gave me this name simply because it was so unusual. I remember them telling me it was a very intelligent name, for some reason. But I don't see it like that."

"You don't?" asked Ginny, diverted. "Are you sure? Cause for me at least, the word 'Hermione' is pretty much synonymous with intelligence."

Hermione smiled at her, a faint tinge around her cheeks.

"Thank you," she said in such a sincere voice that Ginny felt her heart melt. "But that's just it. It has a meaning because you know me. If you had never met me, what would you think of someone with the name 'Hermione'? Honestly?"

"I... don't know," said Ginny, trying to think back to when she had first met Hermione. "I suppose I would think that their parents were a bit... er..."

"Thoughtless?" supplied Hermione, in a quieter voice, looking at her feet. "Crazy? Careless—"

"Foreign," Ginny spoke over her sternly. "I would think they were foreign."

"...Oh."

"From what country, though, I'm not really sure," Ginny continued. "Where do you—"

"Greece. You know, Hermes."

"Ah," said Ginny, her heart sinking. "Yeah, that makes sense."

* * *

Upon entering the Room of Requirement a few minutes later, both girls were greeted by a sight that made them freeze on the threshold. Ginny had asked for a private place where they could talk comfortably, but the room seemed to have been listening in on the more salacious side of her subconscious.

At least fifty paper lamps, each the size of a grapefruit, were hovering through the air in a great cloud, giving the room a dappled, ever changing texture as the candles inside flickered. Scarlet drapes were hung from the ceiling, making the room look like the inside of a festive marquee, or perhaps more accurately, the inside of a lavish harem. In the middle of the room was a bed so big, it took up the entire floor and was covered in large pink and red plush pillows. And to Ginny's horror, the faint and familiar smell of roses pervaded the air.

"I swear to god, I just asked for a regular room," said Ginny quickly, her face getting hotter by the second. "I didn't mean for it to come out so... so..."

"Risqué?"

Ginny gulped. "Yeah. I'll... I'll change it to something more... I mean..."

"It's fine," said Hermione, smiling slightly. And without further ado, she fell forward into the massive bed with a flump. She sank through it as if it was made of cotton candy, swallowing her in an instant. Ginny stifled a giggle and grinned at the cushions that hid her. A muffled sound was coming from it, sounding oddly like a call for help.

Ginny dropped her bag by the door, barely holding in her laughter, and climbed into the bed. It was incredibly soft, much like the bubble mountain, but thankfully dry and fluffy. Ginny dug under the cushions and found Hermione's arm. She began to pull her up with difficulty. Just as she was wishing for a stronger foothold, the bed seemed to stiffen. It became firmer, but still remained softer and more cushiony than any bed she had ever been on. Hermione surfaced, her hair beautifully ruffled, and they settled on the bed, surrounded by the large fluffy pillows and floating lamps.

"Thanks," said Hermione, pressing a hand down on the bed as if to test it.

"No problem."

She crawled next to Hermione and sat next to her. Together, they looked up at the silky drapes and the school of floating lamps. It was so beautiful and relaxing that Ginny felt like coming here every night to sleep, but the scent of roses and the fact that her leg was pressed against Hermione's made her heart race. Even though she knew this was supposed to be time for a serious conversation, she couldn't help but get her hopes up.

Hermione seemed to be thinking the same thing. It was hard to tell with the lighting, but Ginny thought she saw Hermione blushing as she smiled down at their legs.

Ginny snapped out of her newly forming fantasies and said, in a brisk voice, "So. What do you want to talk about?"

Hermione seemed not to have heard her. She was still gazing at a spot on Ginny's knee. After a moment or two, she closed her eyes and sighed.

"Where are we going with this?" she asked.

Ginny's heart sank. The question seemed to drill into her. For the first time she became really aware of the futility and insanity of their relationship. How could she have ever expected anything to come out of this?

"I... I don't know," she said. "But we'll figure it out. Together. We'll just talk about it... and, maybe..."

She thought of Luna, and what she had said about telling Harry. Her heart sank again, but she stiffened her resolve.

 _No matter what_.

"Maybe...?" asked Hermione.

"I don't know," Ginny said evasively. "We'll talk it out, find an answer."

There was a long pause.

"Okay." said Hermione. "What are we going to do about Ron? And Harry? Do you think we should tell them?"

 _She's definitely learned Legilimency_ , Ginny thought ruefully.

She sighed and fell backwards, looking up at the ceiling and stretching her legs out, her side pressed against Hermione's hip. She could feel her warmth and every minute movement of her body. It helped calm her nerves.

"No," she said quietly. "They can't know what we've been doing. It would destroy everything. We'd all split up. At the very best they wouldn't talk to us again. Everyone else would freak out. We'd be hated by society for—" she yawned deeply, "—for forever."

Hermione remained silent for a moment.

"What if we took it slow?" she said thoughtfully. "What if we both told them on the offhand that we might have thought about going out with a girl if we weren't already with them. And then—"

"—And then just slowly reveal that that girl is you or me? And then slowly break up with them?"

"No, I mean... We can't _not_ tell them. At some point they need to know."

"We can't," whispered Ginny. "We just can't. It would ruin all of our relationships and—"

Hermione scoffed gently.

"Yeah, as if we haven't done that already."

Ginny scowled, thinking of Luna again.

"They don't know about anything. As long as that stays the same, then nothing's changed."

Another pause.

"Do you really think that?" asked Hermione in a small, cracked voice. "Nothing?"

Ginny sat up immediately. Hermione was looking up at the canopied ceiling. Ginny reached over and cupped her cheek, turning her face down to look at her. Her eyes were brimming with tears.

"Hermione..."

She leaned forward and kissed her gingerly. Hermione slid her arms around and took Ginny's face in her hands. For a minute, they just held each other and kissed. It was sweet and beautiful, but sad. It pulled at Ginny's heart, made her feel like she and Hermione were the only two people in the world. She felt closer to Hermione than she ever had before.

But what frightened Ginny most was how different it felt from kissing Harry. Hermione was gentler and softer of course, but Ginny felt a kind of stirring in her chest that she had never felt before, like a part of her was missing and the person that could fill it was sitting right next to her. She had never, ever kissed anyone like this before.

She pulled away and looked into her eyes. They were brown, just like her's, but infinitely more beautiful than she could ever hope to be.

"Everything's changed," she breathed. "That was a really stupid thing to say. I'm sorry. I only meant that our relationship with them hasn't changed."

"But it has," said Hermione earnestly. "Whether they know it or not. Do you really think we can go back to them and act like none of this happened?"

"Yes," said Ginny, and her voice finally broke. "We have to."

 _No matter what._

She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her. Hermione shook against her lightly. She felt so small in her arms.

"Please don't cry. Please," she said, rubbing Hermione's back like she always did. It had always comforted both of them before, but Hermione only shook harder against her.

Ginny felt tears dampen her shoulder as Hermione gave a sob. Her heart wrenched with pain and she felt her eyes sting in spite of herself. She noticed a box of tissues next to them that hadn't been there before and gave a weak smile.

 _Thanks_ , she thought to the room.

She took one out and wiped her face before handing the box around to Hermione. She didn't take any. Ginny sat it down next to her and continued to rub her back.

For a long, long time they sat and held each other, but after a while they fell back together into the cushions and Ginny cradled Hermione in her arms. Hermione shook and shook and Ginny ached with misery to see her so sad and hopeless. She didn't know what to say. She didn't even know if it was right to say anything. Maybe it was better to just keep quiet and hold her. She needed to comfort her somehow, she just had to, but she didn't know how.

A soft noise began to fill the room apart from their crying. It seemed to come from the walls themselves and the lanterns floating above their heads; a gentle, flowing melody that seemed to take their sadness and speak it back to them. It reminded her of the song they had heard echoing across the grounds and the mountains more than a year ago. Fawkes had weaved their grief into his and sang it for all to hear. It had helped them then, as the room helped them now.

It wasn't quite the same, but it did what they needed, and let them ride their emotions on the swell of each note.

After a while, Hermione's crying subsided and she simply pressed her face against Ginny's shirt. The music faded slowly as they relaxed into one another.

"We'll help each other out," whispered Ginny. "It's going to be hard, but we'll... help each other out."

Ginny inwardly cursed her lack of eloquence. If only the room could provide her with the wits to put her feelings into words. She knew what she wanted to say. She wanted to say how they'd comfort each other, how they would sustain each other through the lie, keep one another sane. For a moment she thought of suggesting it could be like any other secret that they shared. They would giggle behind their hands like there was some joke they were privy to that everyone else was left out of. It would be a game. Just another game.

But it wasn't.

She imagined being alone with Harry at the Burrow. It suddenly hit her what it would be like to talk with him. To say to his face that she had missed him. To look him in the eye and tell him she loved him. Her throat constricted. And then, to think what Hermione would have to go through when her brother got her on her own. Up until this point she hadn't really considered what this was doing to Hermione.

Her mind seemed to spin, so she put the matter aside for later.

"Come on, let's... let's get out of here," said Ginny, squeezing Hermione. "We've got Charms in a bit."

But they continued to lie together. Ginny rested her chin on Hermione's head and lost herself in the mingled smell of books and roses. She was just thinking about how she would love to fall asleep like this when the older girl pulled away from her.

Hermione wiped her eyes and looked at Ginny's chest. She smiled.

"Your shirt makes a good tissue," she said, pointing.

Ginny looked down. It was damp and shiny from Hermione's crying. Ginny let out a sound halfway between a sigh and a laugh. She reluctantly got to her feet and helped Hermione up. Together they returned to their bags where Ginny used her wand to clean her shirt off. She picked up her bag and was walking to the door when Hermione stopped her.

"Ginny?"

"Yeah?" She turned.

"I... I still think we should tell them, but we should talk about it more. Not now, but over the next couple of months. We need to come to an agreement before we go back to the Burrow for Christmas, and... well, we need to be open with each other."

Ginny remained stubborn with her decision, but recognized the plea in Hermione's voice.

"Sure," she said. "Whenever you want, we'll talk about everything."

Hermione smiled sadly and looked down at her feet. Ginny hesitated, then stepped forward and took her hand.

"Until then," she said, lifting Hermione's chin. She looked into her eyes for a second. "Let's make the best out of what we have."

Hermione smiled wider, her eyes bright, and kissed Ginny. They held each other and kissed as if was their last chance to do so. Ginny didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay in this dim room and hold Hermione forever. She wanted to freeze time and never have to face the real world. She didn't want to break apart.

But break apart they did, and Ginny smiled encouragingly at Hermione before walking her to the exit.

She opened the door and walked straight into Luna.

Ginny froze on the spot and Hermione walked right into her.

"Ow! Why— oh!" said Hermione. She was looking over Ginny's shoulder at Luna. "Uh... hi, Luna... What are you doing here?"

Luna was looking serene as usual, her wand stuck behind her ear and a string of bottle caps hanging around her neck. Ginny was glad to see there was no sign of harm from last night, but all the same, it could not have been a more inopportune moment to confront her.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Luna said in a dreamy voice. "I didn't know you two were using the room. How was the sex this time?"

A very loud silence filled the air. Ginny closed her eyes. That was a lot faster than she had planned. She didn't need to look around at Hermione to know her reaction. It was as if someone had opened an oven next to her head.

"Wh—What? What do you mean 'sex'? We're not—" her voice was rising.

"She knows, Hermione," said Ginny quickly, her voice much steadier than she had anticipated given the circumstances.

Hermione gulped audibly.

"Oh."

"It's ok," said Luna, smiling vaguely. "I haven't told anyone. Ginny made it clear that she wanted this kept between us."

"What? What do you mean? When did you two talk?" Hermione was working herself up again. She looked from Luna to Ginny, who scrunched up her face, avoiding her gaze. "Ginny?"

Ginny could only stare at Luna's feet.

"I..." I what? Forgot? Wanted to wait?

"Ginny, why didn't you tell me? You just said we'd be open with each other!"

Ginny looked up at Luna, trying to ask her to leave without using any words, but she didn't seem to notice. She was watching the storm build up in front of her like it was a mildly interesting show.

"Ginny..."

She almost cowered at the ice in Hermione's voice. She had rarely heard her so dangerous.

"I... didn't think about it until now." Another lie. How many more could she give?

"Look at me."

Ginny turned and slowly raised her face to Hermione's, rubbing her arms defensively. She certainly looked mad, but there was a pinch of hurt in the way she stared at Ginny, which only made everything worse.

"How could you just forget something like that?"

Ginny opened her mouth to give another weak, half assed excuse, but closed it. No. No more lying. Hermione deserved better than that. A sudden rush hit her as she contemplated what it would mean to throw caution to the winds and just tell Hermione everything. Spying on Maera, her deal with the nymph, attacking Luna... It was overwhelming.

And it was somewhat exciting, the thought of being so spontaneously reckless with her secrets. Would it feel better to just let it go? Would she find some peace of mind? Maybe if she took it one step at a time. It wasn't wise to rush into something as sensitive as this. In time she would tell all, but not right now. Not just yet.

She took a deep breath. Baby steps. One admission at a time.

"I talked to her last night. She told me that I should tell Harry about what was happening. We got into an argument and I got mad and I... cursed her."

Hermione's mouth fell open in surprise. Whatever she had thought Ginny would say, it was certainly not that. She looked from Ginny to Luna and back again.

"I left her in the closet we were in and I haven't seen her since." She hesitated, then turned to face Luna. "I'm sorry I hurt you. I wanted to come back and apologize the minute I left, I really did. But I... I was still mad. And stubborn. I'm really, really sorry."

It was almost instantaneous. Ginny felt as if a weight had been lifted from her. She still had plenty to get off her chest, but the sudden lightness made her feel so relieved that she almost felt like divulging the rest.

Almost. One step at a time.

"Oh, that's ok. I wasn't hurt that badly. Filch almost caught me, but I managed to get away before he showed up." She paused and seem to think for a second. "And I suppose I owe you an apology, too. I shouldn't have called you a slut. It was very rude of me to provoke you like that."

Hermione blinked rather rapidly as if she hadn't understood Luna. She looked between the girls as if wondering whether or not to interject.

"That's alright," said Ginny in a civilized tone she rarely adopted. "You weren't that far from the truth."

"Hold on," said Hermione, holding up her hands. "Let me get this straight. You told her about... us, so she called you a slut for it, you _attacked_ her, and then decided not to tell me _any_ of this?!"

"I'm sorry, I just... I didn't think—"

"That," said Hermione, staring daggers at Ginny, "is the most honest thing you've said to me so far."

Ginny crumpled at the look Hermione was giving her. She had seen her angry before, but it had rarely ever been directed at her. It seemed incredible that she could have felt so much relief from telling the truth. Now she felt only shame and apprehension.

Before she could word a response however, Hermione hoisted her bag on her shoulder, turned on her heel and stalked off. Ginny glanced at Luna.

"I'll see you later, Luna. I'm really sorry about everything."

"Alright," said Luna, already entering the Room of Requirement.

Ginny caught up to Hermione as she was rounding the corner. She fell into step with her as they walked down the corridor.

"Why didn't you tell me?" said Hermione.

"I don't know, I was just... scared of how you'd react. I attacked my best friend because she was calmly pointing out my faults, and I guess I just didn't want you to see that side of me."

"Ginny," said Hermione in a slightly exasperated voice. Students were beginning to fill the halls and she lowered her voice. "I want to see every side of you. Even the parts that you're not proud of. We need to be open with each other if we want this to work."

Ginny felt a stab of shame at the thought of the numerous things she still held from Hermione, but it was almost immediately eclipsed by her last words. _If we want this to_ _work_. She couldn't possibly mean...

"Um... what exactly—"

But she was abruptly cut off as they rounded the corner and Ginny, for the second time that afternoon, walked straight into somebody she hadn't expected or wanted to see so soon.

It was Naira.

Well, slammed into. Naira came barreling into Ginny and the two of them toppled over. Ginny had just enough time to register that the nymph was completely naked before her head slammed against the stone floor. Tiny lights burst in front of her eyes and for a moment she was too dizzy and bewildered to react.

"Sorry!" yelled the twin, pushing off of Ginny and scrambling to her feet, her hair flying.

Ginny reached behind her head and massaged the throbbing spot as the twin ran away. Through her confusion and pain, she saw that the nymph was clutching what looked like a pair of knickers.

"What the—"

"GET BACK HERE, YOU DIRTY THIEF!"

Professor McGonagall came jogging around the corner after the twin, brandishing her wand at the naked girl and looking livid. The corridor was ringing with students' laughter and Ginny's head throbbed painfully.

"Ginny! Are you ok?!" Hermione knelt down next to her.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I just hit my head."

"Ok. I'm sorry but I need to go help McGonagall! I'll catch you up later!"

Hermione squeezed Ginny's hand, then got up and sprinted after the Headmistress, her Head Girl badge flashing. Ginny got to her feet and looked down the corridor at the running trio. Naira rounded the corner with a mad cackle of laughter and was lost from view. McGonagall yelled something and a jet of light illuminated the corridor before she and Hermione too disappeared around the wall.

The students around her were in a frenzy of confusion and mirth.

"Who was that?! Does anybody know?"

"I bet you anything those were McGonagall's!"

"No wonder she was so angry. That was scary!"

"Were you looking at her? You were, weren't you?!"

"Hey Rosie, you okay?"

Ginny whirled around, her heart hammering. The other twin stood before her, wearing a pair of sunglasses and Ravenclaw robes.

"I'm fine," said Ginny automatically, but her brain was in a panic.

"Come with me," Lyra whispered in Ginny's ear.

Ginny looked around at the students before following the nymph, still massaging her head. A lump was growing and every time she rubbed it, a jolt of pain emanated from the spot. Lyra lead her past the students and pulled back a tapestry that concealed a hidden staircase. The two of them slipped behind it without being noticed.

"What are you doing here?!" Ginny hissed the moment they were alone. The staircase was lit by a solitary torch that threw their shadows up against the back of the tapestry. "Do you have any idea how fucking insane this is?"

Lyra tsked and removed her sunglasses, revealing those breathtakingly purple and pink eyes. They seemed to shine in the semidarkness.

"You know, with a foul mouth like that, I'm afraid I'll have to report you." She tapped her breast and Ginny squinted. A prefect's badge flashed in the torch light.

"Where did you—"

"Where do you think I got it? Some Ravenclaw girl was taking a bath and I needed something to wear. She wasn't that pretty, but it was so worth it just to see Naira."

Lyra let out a laugh. Despite the frustration she felt, Ginny's heart fluttered at the melodious sound.

"This was because of that bet she lost, right?"

"Yup," said Lyra, leaning against the stone wall. "She didn't believe you'd be as beautiful as Maera said, but I did. Although now that I've met you, I'd say she was understating it."

Ginny's cheeks flared but she remained silent.

"She put up a fight, but eventually had to admit she was wrong, so..." she spread her arms, an exaggerated look of smugness on her face.

"So she had to steal Professor McGonagall's underwear while naked?"

"Yeah!" laughed Lyra.

"But... how did she get into the Headmaster's office?"

"There's a bathroom," Lyra waved her off. "Honestly it was harder for me to get in. I had to find an easily persuadable girl my size and everything. And even then the sunglasses were harder to find."

Ginny looked into the nymph's eyes for a moment before taking her wand out.

"Come here," she said.

"Uh... what?" asked Lyra, eyeing the wand warily.

"I'm going to change your eye color."

"What? No! My eyes are fine the way they are, thank you very much. Apart from my boobs and personality, they're my pride and joy!"

"It'll wear off after a few hours, don't worry. You can't go walking around the school with sunglasses on, and with this you'll be able to blend in just fine."

There was a pause as Lyra seemed to consider the matter. Then she stepped forward tentatively.

"It's not gonna hurt, is it?" she asked in an uncharacteristically timid voice. She seemed to realize how childish the question was immediately however. "Not that it really matters, I mean... I can take it, I can take a lot of pain actually, it's just that... I..."

Ginny was trying not to grin, but the edges of her mouth were twitching. How could anyone distrust a person like this?

"The worst that can happen is it'll tickle a bit," said Ginny raising her wand. Lyra eyed the tip apprehensively, but stepped closer.

"Well," she said, sounding like she was about to get an amputation. "I've been tickled in a lot of places in a lot of ways, but I can't say I've ever had an eye tickled. You'll be my first. Heh."

Ginny grinned, then directed her wand at each beautiful eye in turn, muttering under her breath. The gorgeous pink flecked purple irises faded and darkened into a shade of brown identical to Hermione's.

"You're right, that does tickle a bit," said Lyra, sounding relieved. "What color are they?"

"Brown," said Ginny, gazing at the familiar eyes.

"Aw, I wanted blue!"

"You never said what color you wanted!"

"Well you didn't ask me. Can you make them blue with like, light speckles, sort of like my old ones but just bluer?"

"Ugh, fine. Hold still."

And a few seconds later Lyra stood before her, a beautiful Ravenclaw prefect with beautiful blue eyes and beautiful silky black hair. With a jolt to the heart, Ginny suddenly remembered looking down and seeing the same girl's face nestled between her legs. She felt the heat rise in her face as the events of the previous night all came flooding back to her.

"Um..."

"That good huh? I need a mirror," said Lyra.

She stepped closer to the torch and placed her palm on the wall next to it. Her hand melted and became a flat disk of water like a vertical puddle. Lyra squinted at the vague reflection in her hand, turning her head from side to side.

"...I can't really see too well, but I'll just thank you ahead of time."

Lyra turned and before Ginny could say so much as "It's no problem, really," she found herself locked in a firm kiss with the nymph. Lyra's lips pressed against her's and her hands held her shoulders tightly. Ginny's heart leaped into her throat and she yelled into the kiss before pushing herself away.

"What—Why'd you do that?!"

"Shh! People will hear you!" Lyra hissed.

Ginny wiped her mouth furiously, but lowered her voice all the same.

"Why'd you do that?" she repeated.

"I was thanking you!" said Lyra as if this were the most obvious thing in the world. "I thought we could have another quickie, if you wanted, just you and me."

Ginny felt her face go even redder than it already was.

"No, I don't want another quickie! I have a girlfriend!" _And a boyfriend._

A look of surprised hurt filled Lyra's features. Her shoulders slumped a little and she looked at the ground.

"Oh, I'm... I'm sorry."

"You... you didn't know?" asked Ginny. "Maera didn't tell you?"

"No," said Lyra softly. "She didn't tell us anything other than what you looked like." She glanced up at her questioningly.

Ginny hesitated for a moment, but Lyra was so genuine and human at that moment that she had no choice but to trust the nymph, at least with the essentials. So she told her about Hermione and how she had met Maera and the deal they made last night before Lyra came along. For a moment she considered revealing who she really was and her relationship with Harry. But she preferred not to put all of her secrets in one basket, particularly not a basket that spent so much time dangling on Maera's arm.

"I'm sorry," repeated Lyra once Ginny had finished. "If I had known I wouldn't have... have... oh, oh my god," she covered her mouth, her eyes suddenly wide, "I ate you out last night. I fingered you, and... and..."

"Lyra, I—"

"And Naira kissed you, too! We...! You...! We helped you cheat on your girlfriend! Oh my god, I am so so so so sorry! I ruined everything! I am so sorry!"

"It's ok, I just—"

Lyra gasped, pointing towards the tapestry.

"Was that her?! The girl you were with? That was her right? Goddammit I am such an idiot! I knew something like this was going to happen, Maera just—"

A shadow passed over her face and she pressed a hand to her chest. She looked stuck between anger and nausea.

"Lyra?"

Lyra didn't seem to hear her. Her eyes had gone out of focus and she began biting her lip.

"Um... Lyra?"

Lyra finally looked at her. She gazed at Ginny as if she was sizing her up. After a few seconds, she spoke.

"You need to be careful," she said.

Ginny stared. Lyra's tone had shifted entirely. She no longer sounded boisterous or remorseful. She sounded nervous, scared.

"What? Why?"

"I need to have a word with Maera. And my sister, too. And you need to be careful around her. Maera, I mean."

"What's wrong with her?" asked Ginny, her pulse quickening.

Lyra gave a short laugh. "Exactly. That's what I'm going to ask her. Everything apparently." She took her sunglasses and pocketed them. "Thanks for the eye job."

She turned abruptly to leave but Ginny grabbed her by the arm.

"Whoa whoa whoa! You do not get to just leave me with that for an explanation. I want to know what I'm being careful for."

"It's Maera," whispered Lyra, looking more uncomfortable than ever. "She's up to something again and I need to stop her. I'll keep in touch with you, I promise, but I really have to go."

She attempted to escape, but Ginny held tighter.

"Then meet me tonight," she said, thinking fast. "Nine o' clock in the Gryffindor tower showers. I want to know what's going on."

Lyra looked at her one last time, and then nodded. Ginny let go and she turned, pushing the tapestry aside. The sunlight from the corridor blinded her for a second, then the canvas fell back into place, and Ginny stood in the dark to brood over what she had said.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

* * *

Ginny hardly noticed the students pushing past her in the halls. Her mind was racing and she went over the things she had heard with a rising sense of dread and apprehension.

There was definitely something going on with Maera. Lyra had more or less confirmed her suspicions when she said she was 'up to something again'. Maybe she had interfered with other people's relationships before. Maybe she had stepped between couples, ruining their lives in the process. That sounded about right. From what she had seen of the nymph, she didn't seem to care too much about the outcome of her actions as they pertained to other people's feelings.

But Lyra did. Apparently not all nymphs were the same in that regard. While she did seem to have as powerful a libido as Maera, Lyra had the respect and consideration the other nymph so conspicuously lacked. It was hard to tell if Naira was the same kind of person as her twin, but then again, as Ginny reminded herself for umpteenth time, not all twins necessarily ended up so lucky as to be identical in both mind and body. Not all twins were as lucky as Fred and George.

Not all twins were so incredibly unfortunate as Fred and George.

 _No one ever should be._

She arrived at Charms and was surprised to find Hermione already waiting for her. It turned out Naira had escaped shortly after running into Ginny. Professor McGonagall had went so far as to employ the ghosts and even the statues in the attempt to find the girl, but with no luck. Eventually, she had given up and sent Hermione on her way, her nostrils flaring and her face beet red.

Ginny had laughed for the first time in what felt like weeks when Hermione told her about it all. She was feeling much better despite the rising number of questions and issues she needed to address. It was like a check list that swam before her, changing and growing with every passing day.

Luna was more or less dealt with for the moment. They would have to talk more sometime soon. She respected her opinion, but she knew what she had to do. She didn't like lying, but it was her only option. The prospect of confronting Harry and Ron over Christmas break was as daunting as ever, but that wasn't for another two months.

Then there were the nymphs. No one, not even Luna could know about them. The fact that Hermione had seen one of them today was already cause for panic, if not hilarity. She needed to keep an eye on Maera, especially now with Lyra's warning weighing on her. She would have to go through with the deal, she was at least determined of that. She hated herself for giving in so easily, for giving up like a coward, but it was her only option at the moment if she wanted her secret kept, well, secret.

 _No matter what._

But she was going to get answers. She had Hermione and Luna to talk to about some things and now Lyra for others. It would have been overwhelming to juggle all of her problems alone and she knew better than to think she could take it all without the help of her friends.

The rest of the day passed without any further incident, apart from Ginny blinding herself temporarily with an Eärendil phial in potions. Hermione seemed rather distant with her throughout the day. She was obviously still mad at Ginny for not telling her about Luna, but Ginny didn't get the chance to get her on her own to talk, not that she tried very hard.

Nine o'clock creeped steadily closer as they finished classes and ate dinner. Ginny wondered what she would learn from Lyra. If she was going to be in close contact with Maera for the rest of the year, she needed to know what she was getting herself into. Her position with the nymph was becoming steadily worse and any illusion of control she had on the situation was swiftly fading.

Later that evening, Ginny lay on her bed while the others chatted and Hermione lay with a book propped up on her pillow. Ginny was watching the hands on her alarm clock tick closer and closer. Eight forty, eight forty-five, eight fifty. At a minute to, she took a deep breath and sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of her bed.

"I'm gonna go take a shower," she said to Hermione, who grunted, not looking up from her book.

Ginny gazed at her, feeling a twinge of guilt at what she was going to do. She hated lying to her, but the prospect of telling her about everything quenched any hesitation she felt. Besides, it wasn't the right time to tell her. Baby steps.

She grabbed a change of clothes and a toothbrush and made her way out of the dormitory and down the stairs. The common room was not as empty as she would have liked. In retrospect, it probably would have been more prudent to schedule her meeting with Lyra after everybody would be in bed, but she didn't want to draw attention to herself by taking a shower in the middle of the night. So she walked as naturally as she could, avoiding making eye contact with anyone, and entered the girls bathroom. She walked past a few girls who were gossiping passionately about Professor McGonagall and entered the slightly dimmer room lined with shower stalls. There was no sound of running water, but Ginny nevertheless proceeded with caution and chose the stall at the very end of the room.

She pulled back the white curtain and found the shower empty. A small wooden bench sat against a wall and a rack of fluffy white towels on the other. She dropped her clothes on the bench and stepped into the shower. The walls were marble and dry and a golden lioness shower head peered down at her as if it knew what she was doing.

It was strangely awkward to shower with something watching you, even if that something is just the statue of the head of an animal. Ginny had spent too much time at Hogwarts not to consider even a sketch of an insect as anything less than sentient.

She leaned against the smooth wall and peered up at the lioness, waiting. As far as she could tell, the chatting girls were her only company. Their conversation seemed magnified and loud and Ginny felt exposed, like she was waiting to have her meeting out there rather than in here. Any conversation she had with Lyra was sure to echo and even whispering would sound suspicious.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the soft trickling sound of running water. She tensed, listening hard. The sound seemed to be coming from the drain in front of her. She looked down and saw water pooling around it. She backed into the wall, but the water avoided her and rose from the drain in a giant blob. It formed itself into the shape of a human and before she knew it, one of the twins stood before her.

Ginny looked down instinctively, as any sane person would, at her breasts, but the twin standing naked before her had no scar. Ginny managed to convince herself she was identifying the nymph as Naira rather than staring at her. The fact that the twins were already discernible by their hair styles only occurred to Ginny after she had taken her fill.

She opened her mouth to speak, but Naira lifted a finger to her lips, silencing her. She pulled Ginny out of the shower and turned the tap. Water sprayed from mouth of the lioness and Naira, under cover of the noise, leaned into Ginny and whispered, "You wanna talk to Lyra?"

Ginny nodded. Naira looked her up and down.

"Then take your clothes off."

"What?" hissed Ginny.

"Your clothes," said Naira, gesturing to them. "You can't take them with you."

"Take them... with me? You mean..." She gestured to the drain and Naira nodded, her eyebrows raised as if the task was as normal as walking.

Ginny hesitated, then reluctantly pulled her shirt over her head. She undressed quickly, feeling very self conscious as Naira stared unabashed at her body. When Ginny finally pulled the last of her underwear off and nervously covered herself with her hands, the nymph rolled her eyes.

"It's not like I haven't seen you naked before," she whispered. "Besides, you should be proud of a body like that."

Ginny blushed, her cheeks reddening and her throat constricting. She hesitantly lowered her hands, glancing down at Naira's body in turn.

"That's better. Here, take my hand."

She extended it and the two of them walked into the shower together. Ginny registered that under different circumstances, this would have been a dream come true for her, or anyone else for that matter. Being spirited away by a gorgeous, naked girl in the middle of the night to meet her equally attractive and willing twin was as exciting a fantasy as she could have cooked up. If only things were simpler. But she reminded herself that this was supposed to be a platonic meeting. She already had a girlfriend after all. She resolved not to get too flustered.

Naira turned to face her, the water rolling down her skin and her wet hair glimmering in the pale light. She looked Ginny up and down again.

"Gods, you're hot," she muttered.

And out the the window went Ginny's resolve. Her face burned painfully and she pressed her legs together. She opened her mouth to speak, but only a faint gurgling sound came forth, so she closed it.

Naira giggled and took both her hands. "Take a deep breath, then."

Ginny hastened to obey as Naira began to melt. Her face turned translucent, then her shoulders, her arms and finally her hands. As the effect reached Ginny, she felt a strange numbing sensation emanate from her hands. It traveled up her body and she watched in fascination as her arms melted and fell into the shower. All sound became muffled as if she was submerged. She couldn't feel any part of her body. She could only see and hear. And then she fell with a splash. As she moved to the drain, her vision blurred and swirled. There was a loud rushing sound and she was able to make out a long, dark circular tunnel, twisting and rushing past her in a blur as she sped onward.

The tunnel disappeared suddenly and Ginny was out in the open, then flying over rocks and mud. A great wind was blowing in her face and the sound became unbearably loud. Her lungs were straining for air, but she had no mouth to open. She could only watch as she rushed onward, fish darting past her like silver arrows. Her vision was blurring and her head was throbbing and she was drowning. The strain was so painful. Everything was going dark...

She felt cold air hit her face and gasped, her lungs filling with glorious oxygen. Her body had returned and she was suddenly aware of the icy cold water pressing against her naked body. It hit her with such force that she felt her very breath freeze in her lungs. She instinctively thrashed forward and her hands found wet stone. She clumsily scrambled onto it, desperate to get out of the freezing water. Once she was out, she lay for a moment, shaking uncontrollably and looking around.

She was in a dimly lit cave, the only source of light a hole in the ceiling through which snow was lazily drifting. She shivered, her teeth beginning to chatter. Her skin stung with the agonizing cold and she curled into a ball, rubbing her arms and shaking. Then a fur blanket was draped over her body. She took it without a word, wrapping herself in it like her life depended on it.

Voices were echoing around the cave. Angry voices that sounded like one person arguing with themselves. Ginny looked up and saw Lyra standing over her almost shouting at Naira.

"But I explicitly told you not to!"

"You're not the boss of me!"

"I never said I was, but you know why I couldn't tell her myself! I explained it to you—"

"You gave a half assed excuse is what you did."

"It's not half assed, I didn't want her to worry! I told you what you needed to tell her."

"I'm not telling her anything. She needs to hear it from you. Do it yourself or not at all."

Naira spoke with finality and crossed her arms, stepping away from her sister. Lyra glared at her for a moment before turning her attention to Ginny.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm—hah—c-c-cold," said Ginny, her teeth chattering uncontrollably.

She looked up into Lyra's face and focused on it with some difficulty. Her eyes had turned back to their regular purple and pink color. The nymph looked exactly like her sister, except for the scar on her chest, the braided hair style... and the bruise on her face. Ginny stared at it, her mind still sluggish from the shock of the cold.

"...Your ch-ch-cheek...? How d-d—"

"Don't worry about that, it's nothing," Lyra waved her hand, but her sister made a warning noise behind her.

"Tell her," she growled.

Lyra glared over her shoulder.

"What h-hap-pend?" stuttered Ginny.

"I..." Lyra turned back to her, but avoided her eyes. "I had my little chat with Maera."

Ginny let out a shaky breath.

"Sh-she hit y-you?!"

"Why did you bring her like this?" Lyra turned away from her to face her twin. "She's freezing!"

"She wanted to talk to _you_!" Naira shot back. "Not me, you. I am not an owl that you get to send to people you don't feel comfortable seeing yourself."

"I wanted to see her, I just didn't want her to be afraid!"

"And you don't think she should know?"

"No, I—"

"Cause that would be pretty fucked up! Seems like a pretty important detail, especially for her!"

"I'm n-not afraid," Ginny chimed in, getting into a sitting position and slowly regaining control of her voice. "I can handle myself."

Naira walked over to her, sidestepping Lyra. She climbed into the thick blanket with Ginny and settled herself behind her. She hugged Ginny to her surprisingly hot body and rubbed their hands together. Ginny felt her breasts pressing against her back, but for once didn't get embarrassed. It was too cold. But Naira was warm and she was slowly regaining feeling in her fingers and toes.

"Thank you," she breathed.

"Yeah, don't mention it. Sure is nice when somebody has your best interests in mind." She stuck her tongue out at Lyra, who glared back.

"N-no, it's fine," said Ginny, looking up at Lyra. "I understand."

Lyra didn't say anything. She was looking guilty now.

"I... guess it might have been a good idea to talk to you. You should know, so I... I'm sorry."

Naira seemed satisfied. She planted an unexpected kiss on Ginny's shoulder that made her stomach squirm pleasantly. Ginny made no objection. It was extremely relaxing to feel her warm body against her's.

"Tell me what happened," she said to Lyra.

Lyra looked uncomfortable. "Well, I... talked to her. I told her what you told me. She didn't seem to care about it or anything, just... She just got mad that I was questioning her."

"And?" prompted Naira.

"Hey, don't make it sound like it's my fault, cause it's not!"

"What's not your fault?" asked Ginny, looking between the twins. Lyra glared at her twin one last time and then walked over to a small boulder and sat on it. She crossed her legs, much to Ginny's relief. She didn't think she'd be able to focus otherwise. Lyra sat in silence for a moment, her eyes on the floor between them. She seemed to be weighing her words carefully.

"Years ago, I had a partner that I fell in love with," she said in a rush.

"Rose?" asked Ginny. "The girl you mentioned?"

"No, no, Rose was only like what? Twenty years ago now? Anyway, this was a century ago, and it was a guy. He was so charming and handsome. And pretty well endowed too, if you know what I mean. He was funny and smart and gentle. Pretty much perfect. Anyway, I brought him to an orgy that we were having one night to introduce him to everyone. Maera said he was one of the handsomest men she'd ever seen. They all loved him of course. You remember that, right?"

She glanced at Naira as if hoping this would soften her, but her twin merely huffed in a noncommittal way.

"He was okay."

"He was perfect," Lyra said again, her eyes staring off into space and a gentle smile playing across her face. "We fell in love and he was going on about how he was going to pass a law someday that would allow us to get married. I probably should have seen it coming, but then again, I suppose I was pretty naïve back then. Anyway, one day I was walking through the forest and... I found him... with Maera."

Ginny merely stared at her. She didn't know what to say.

"It would have hurt a lot less if he'd just told me what he'd been doing for the last month or so. We could have talked it out, but... whatever. It wasn't pretty. Maera told me they were in love, that he wanted it, that he was just fucking me because he was too much of a coward to tell me he didn't care. I didn't believe her. I still don't believe her. We got into a fight. He tried to step between us, but she got a hold of the knife on his belt."

Ginny's chest tightened. She didn't wan't to hear any more, but Lyra went on, her voice shaking slightly.

"He grabbed her and tried to pin her to the ground, but she melted around him and... stabbed him. Right in the back. I tried to... to grab her, but she turned around, and... well..." She gestured to her chest where the long pale scar stretched in a straight line across her ribs.

Ginny raised a hand and covered her mouth. Her insides were squirming. Lyra went on valiantly.

"Naira showed up and helped stitch me up and Maera tried to help too. She'd realized what she'd done. I was fine, but he... he died. Right in my arms."

Silence filled the cave. Ginny felt revulsion and sympathy in equal measures. It was worse than she could have imagined, but it didn't make sense.

"I don't understand," she said gently. "Why are you still friends then? She killed the person you love, but—"

"This was a century ago, Rose. Plenty of time to forgive someone."

"You forgave her? For something like that?!"

"It wasn't easy! It took a few decades, but yes, I eventually forgave her. It may seem strange for someone like you. You're like what? Sixteen?"

"Seventeen."

"Seventeen, okay. It's just... If you spend enough time with someone..." She rubbed her eyes, looking tired and wan. She sighed deeply. "You know what? Doesn't matter. That's not the point. The point is it looks like she's just as jealous as she used to be."

"Jealous?" said Ginny bewildered. "Of what?"

"Of us. You didn't hear her going on about you a couple nights ago. She's obsessed with you. But then you chose us over her last night and made her watch."

"This isn't her fault!" Naira piped up angrily. "She looked terrified of Maera. Of course she wouldn't be comfortable with her."

"But she has to be," said Lyra. "She's going to be with her every week now and I doubt Maera'll let us join again."

"Hang on," said Ginny. "Why did she let you two join at all? Why did she invite you two last night if she's so jealous?"

"Because four is better than two, duh," said Lyra. "We share partners all the time, but you left her out and made her watch what she was missing from the sidelines."

"She didn't make her—!"

"It's fine, Naira," said Ginny. There was a short pause. "One more thing. What about my... girlfriend?" The word felt strange in her throat. "Is she safe?"

"I... think so? I really—I mean I'm sure she wouldn't..." Lyra was grimacing, trying to find the right words. She eventually sighed and looked at the floor. "Honestly? I don't know."

"Then... what? What am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know! I don't know what she's thinking of doing."

There was a long pause. The only sound was the steady trickle of water behind them. Ginny watched the snow fall gently from the hole in the ceiling and shivered. Naira cuddled against her.

"We'll be there," she said quietly into Ginny's ear. "We'll help you in any way we can. She won't lay a finger on your girlfriend or she'll have us to answer to."

"You're damn right," said Lyra, standing up. She had a hard, determined look on her bruised face. She walked over and knelt next to Ginny, pulling her into a hug. "We'll keep an eye on your girlfriend for you."

Ginny shivered again. "Thank you, but I... I don't want her to know about any of this. It—"

"Oh, not you too!" said Naira, sliding around to Ginny's other side. "Why does everybody have this need to lie all the time?"

"I'm sorry, but it has to be secret for now. I'll tell her at some point, but it'll be in my own time."

Naira opened her mouth to argue, but Lyra spoke up. "It's your decision. We can respect that, can't we Naira?"

Naira looked ready to argue again, but she merely frowned and nodded reluctantly.

"But," said Lyra, turning back to Ginny. "We will help you in any way we can. Whenever you need us."

"Thank you," said Ginny, looking between them. "Both of you. I can't tell you how much this means to me."

"It's the least we can do," said Lyra.

"Yeah, don't mention it," said Naira.

They sat for a moment. Ginny knew what had to be done. She still had to go forward with the deal, that hadn't changed. She was going to have to tough it out. It wasn't going to be easier knowing what the nymph was capable of. But she knew now that Hermione needed to know about everything. She was going to tell her. Tomorrow. Probably. At some point.

Maybe not yet.

"I need to get back," she said. "I told her I was just going to take a shower and I don't know how long I've been."

"Well, you sorta took a bath," said Naira, helping her to her feet. "Come on."

They discarded the blanket and Ginny walked over to the water's edge with Naira. She knew in order to get back she would have to go in, but the immediate prospect was so deeply uninviting. Contemplating the task ahead would not make it easier, or the water warmer.

"Rosie?" said Lyra.

Ginny turned. "Yeah?"

"I... I'm sorry. For not telling you outright."

"It's fine, really," said Ginny, and she meant it. If she was being honest with herself, she probably would have done the same. "We'll talk again soon, okay?"

"Okay," said Lyra, nodding and looking morose.

Ginny turned and took a deep breath. She stepped forward and into the water. The familiar cold attacked her feet like fire and she fumbled for Naira's hands, eager for her to numb her senses. As the two of them began to melt, Lyra said, her voice muffling in Ginny's ears, "And be careful!"

Ginny tried to respond, but she couldn't feel her mouth anymore. Everything was swirling again and the cold had gone away, replaced by nothingness. Ginny sped onward in a rush of dark murky shapes and just when she thought she might drown again, she found herself kneeling on the floor of the shower she had left.

The water that was falling on her was so hot by comparison that she cringed away, holding in a gasp and crawling out of the shower. No one seemed to be in the room. No one seemed to be looking for her.

She got to her feet and adjusted the temperature of the shower before getting back in and warming herself. Eventually, she sat in the middle of the shower, the water hitting her skin and rolling down her body. She closed her eyes.

"Fuck."


	13. Chapter 13

Warning: This chapter contains some pretty heavy psychological stuff. I won't say exactly, cause I'm a stickler for spoilers, even this kind, but you can probably guess what's coming anyway. So if you're sensitive to that kind of stuff, this may not be the chapter for you.

Chapter 13

* * *

The following week was almost depressingly dull in comparison to the mayhem of the last four. Ginny still struggled with the idea: had it really only been four days? The Quidditch match seemed so far away, like it was part of a past life. Everything that had happened afterward came in such a rapid succession that it was difficult to piece it all together. Hermione, Maera, Luna, the twins. It all meshed into one long ordeal that had seemingly taken months to get through.

But it had only been four days. After her meeting with the twins, Ginny enjoyed a week so devoid of accidental run-ins, ridiculous scenarios or drama that she was almost bored. To her frustration and slight apprehension, she hadn't gotten any chances to become intimate with Hermione since their initial escape to the bathroom on Monday. Hermione seemed to forget the incident with Luna, or at least she didn't mention it. She was behaving normally around Ginny, but at the same time, she seemed much more uncomfortable about sex than before.

Ginny tried her best to be understanding and supportive, she really did, but the frustration was always there, bubbling under the surface. It was a part of her that she was ashamed of on behalf of Hermione, but it was a part of her nonetheless. She wanted her so badly and she hated waiting. She often wondered if it was why she had rushed into their relationship. The thought did nothing to soothe her.

She often wondered if she was going about their relationship the wrong way. Well, it was all wrong already, she had no business being with Hermione in the first place. But Hermione's words kept coming back to her, "I thought you might have only been interested in the... eating part."

What if their relationship was only meant to be that? Just physical? Did Hermione want to go further? Did Ginny want to go further? She didn't know. They obviously liked each other more than friends, but it felt like they were just friends with benefits at the moment. She felt like a child, unsure of how to progress or contribute to a relationship. She had experience, but not for something like this. Everything was so confusing. What did she want? What did she feel?

After the fiasco that was Tuesday and all the worry and confusion that came with it, Ginny's life went back to normal, or as normal as it ever was at Hogwarts. Classes were becoming demanding, as Hermione never failed to remind her. She saw no sign of the nymphs in the hallways or during her showers, thank god. Luna seemed to have forgiven her and was as serine as ever.

At times, Ginny found it easy to forget her troubles for an hour or two and simply be herself again. These were the moments she cherished: working on homework well into the night with Hermione, laughing over a joke with Luna, sitting with the two of them in the hallways. This was what her last year at Hogwarts should have been, enjoying every day with her best friends before they left school for good.

But every once and a while, she would remember. She would remember the fact that she was cheating, not only on Harry, but on Hermione now too. That she was going to be forced to have sex in a few day's time. That she had to do it if she wanted to keep everything secret. That the person she was going to be having sex with was a murderer. A _murderer._ These were the moments she avoided and tried her best to ignore. She tried to tell herself that worrying wasn't an option. The only thing it did was heighten her fear.

And she was afraid. More so than she had ever been in her life.

In a duel to the death she was almost never afraid. She knew what to do then. She knew how to fight. She knew how to win.

But what could she do now? She didn't know how to fight a fight like this. This wasn't something she could jinx or curse her way out of. The only way to win was to surrender, and she hated herself for doing so. She wanted to be brave, but she was so, so afraid. Her father had told her once that the only time a person could ever be brave was when they were afraid, but the sentiment only served to add insult to injury. She had the opportunity to do one of the bravest things she had ever done in her life, but she let her fear overtake her because it was easier.

And she hated herself for it.

* * *

It is a strange thing, but when you are dreading something and would give anything to slow down time, it has a disobliging habit of speeding up. Before Ginny knew it, her week had slipped past, her weekend was over and Monday had dawned, bright and clear as though to contrast her mood. The blizzard had abated after a few days, leaving the school covered in a layer of ice and snow so thick that students had to charm it out of their way to make it to the greenhouses.

They had Herbology with the Ravenclaws today, so they sat with Luna at a table together. Despite Ginny's efforts to stay present, she couldn't help but dwell endlessly on her troubled thoughts. Not on Maera, she had dwelled enough on the nymph and what she might have in store for her later that night.

No, she dwelled on Hermione. She dwelled on her feelings. As they fed giant disgusting grubs to snapping Piranha Plants, Ginny dwelled on love.

 _Do I love her?_

Well, what does your heart tell you?

 _That you are the cheesiest inner voice I've ever employed._

You know what I mean. What do you feel when you're near her?

 _I... feel an ache, like I want to be around her all the time. I want to kiss her, to touch her. I want her to touch me... Is that love?_

It can be, of a kind.

 _What kind?_

Physical. Sexual. Not romantic, not very mature, but still, a kind of love nevertheless.

 _..._

Do you not want that? Do you want more?

 _I don't know._

Does she want more?

 _I don't know._

You know that can't happen, right?

 _Why not?_

God you're hopeless. Have fun being alone in your mind. And focus on the lesson for god's sake.

Luna was putting out a fire on their table that the Piranha Plant had started and Hermione was wrestling a thick leather belt over it's red and white maw. Ginny hurried to help, glancing at Hermione every so often. She looked at her hair, her face, her eyes. She wanted her. She wanted to be with her. She never wanted to leave her side. She wanted to wrap herself around her and kiss every inch of her body and never let go.

Was that just it then? Wanting?

"Gotcha!" Hermione grunted as she fastened the belt. The Piranha Plant thrashed violently, bouncing in it's pot, but couldn't open its mouth to attack. They all relaxed around the table, wiping their sweaty foreheads.

"When are we ever going to need to know this?" asked Ginny.

"You don't want a beautiful and diverse garden someday?" Hermione said, grinning.

"Well, yes, but who in their right mind would put one of these anywhere near their house?"

"I would," said Luna predictably. "Daddy says they can be very useful for warding against Italian plumbers."

Hermione and Ginny fought to keep their faces straight. The bell rang and they packed up their gloves and made for the door. As the class all crowded around the exit, Ginny noticed Luna pocketing one of the giant grubs. She decided against asking why. No doubt grubs warded against some other random thing she was unfamiliar with.

As they all made it into the Entrance Hall, the rest of the Ravenclaws split from the Gryffindor group and went up the stairs to their common room. Hermione and Ginny waved Luna off and together they made their way to Charms with the rest of their class. They chatted about nothing in particular and Ginny was grateful because it gave her an opportunity to dwell even more.

 _It couldn't happen, I know that. It would never work._

You're right now, but maybe it could happen if you loved her. Really loved her.

 _What good would that do?_

You'd be in love. How is that not good?

 _..._

Or is she just an outlet for your sexual needs?

 _What?! No, she means more to me than_ —

Those were your words. Your justification for why you felt like this in the first place. When Harry didn't come to school and you started fantasizing about her, you said you needed an "outlet".

 _But that wasn't true, was it?_

No, it wasn't. You could have used the thought of Harry just as effectively when you started touching yourself all over the castle.

 _Gosh, you're so helpful. I feel much better now._

Do you love her or do want her?

 _...I_ —

And then, quite suddenly, Ginny was standing in the middle of her Charms class. She peered around at the assembled students in surprise. They were all looking at her. What had happened? It wasn't as if she had lost track of time, it was as if she had Apparated into the room without the accompanying feeling of suffocation. One moment she was walking down the corridor, and the next...

She had no memory of what she had been doing at the time.

Her heart seemed to stop as the sudden realization hit her. Goosebumps rippled up her body and she shivered.

 _No no no no no no not again not again no no no_

It was just like last time. It was happening all over again, but—

"Ginny? Are you okay?"

 _But he's dead. I saw it. I saw it happen. I saw it happen! He can't_

"Oh dear... Ms Granger, would be so kind as to escort Ms Weasley to the hospital wing?"

"Y-yes professor."

 _do that anymore because he's dead he's dead he's dead_

"She'll need something for shock. And do make sure you tell Madam Pomfrey exactly what you were thinking at the time."

"Yes, professor. I will. Come on, Ginny."

Hermione wrapped her arm around Ginny's shoulders and steered her past the muttering students and into the hall. A different fear than what she had been dealing with all day reared up inside her like a snake. Like a giant snake.

"Ginny?"

Like a Basilisk.

"Ginny!"

She looked up.

"Are you okay?" said Hermione, looking panicked.

"I don't know," Ginny managed, and then it all came rushing out. "I can't remember what I was doing, one moment I was walking and the next I was standing in the middle of the room and— It's just like the last time, I would be in one place and then in another and I wouldn't know what I was doing when he— when he was forcing me to—"

"No, no Ginny. It's not like that!" Hermione pulled her into a tight embrace. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry! We started memory charms today. I completely forgot about that, I'm so, so sorry."

It took a second for Ginny to realize what she was saying.

"Memory charms? You mean... I wasn't—"

"You weren't. I was there with you the whole time."

Such a powerful wave of relief washed over Ginny that it was all she could do to keep standing. She took a deep, shuddering breath and Hermione's scent filled her. It was intoxicating, the familiar smell of books and honeysuckle. It filled her up, calming her like a sedative. She let out a very weak laugh and wrapped her arms around Hermione.

It was the first time in days they had really embraced like this. Ginny knew it would be insane, but she wanted so badly to turn Hermione's head around and kiss her. Before she could act on the impulse however, Hermione broke away and the moment was gone. They both looked at each other for a second before Hermione turned, motioning for Ginny to follow.

"Come on, we might as well go to the hospital wing while we're out here."

"What happened?" asked Ginny, falling into step with Hermione. "I remember us walking to class talking about... something or other and then I was just... there. What time is it?"

"You didn't miss much. Professor Flitwick talked for awhile about memory charms and how they're used. He told us outright that we weren't to try the spell until we had mastered the theory. They can be so dangerous when you don't know what you're doing. He asked me if I could demonstrate to the class though, because he knows I've used it a couple times, and... I agreed."

She stopped in her tracks and looked at Ginny guiltily.

"I'm so sorry. I obliviated you. I kept it as short as I could, but that's why you lost all that time. I should have realized what that would have done to you. It was such a stupid thing to show off for."

"It's fine," said Ginny, because Hermione was looking devastated. "It was a stupid thing for me to freak out about. I know he's dead, but it just sort of— caught me by surprise."

"I'm—"

"Don't be. It's fine. If I agreed to do it, then I'm the one to blame. _I_ should have realized what that would do to me."

"You did seem pretty out of it again, but that's to be expected I suppose. You've got a lot on your plate."

"Yeah, we do." _More than you know._

* * *

It was one of the quickest visits she had ever taken to the hospital wing. Hermione described to Madam Pomfrey what had happened and the matron gave Ginny a small dose of calming potion before sending them on their way. Ginny silently wished she had gotten more. She was going to need all she could get in a while.

They went back for the remainder of their Charms class where Ginny had to endure the whispering and stares that always followed episodes like her's. She didn't notice it that much however. She was too busy dredging up memories of the worst year of her life. It helped because it distracted her.

She was dreading the coming evening more with every passing minute. She didn't eat at dinner, and Hermione took pity on her, probably thinking she was still shaken up by the afternoon's events.

It was too cold outside to even linger for a minute in the courtyard, so going back to the forest at night again was out of the question. But Ginny knew that excuse would never fly with Maera. The cold never bothered her anyway.

She knew what she had to do instead.

That night, when everyone had gone to bed and all the girls in the dormitory were breathing slowly and gently, Ginny slid out of bed. As quietly as she could, she slipped into her slippers and grabbed her wand off her bedside table. She sincerely hoped she wouldn't need it.

She crept across the room and down the stairs. The common room was empty. It was almost midnight and the fire had gone out. The only light came from the windows, where the pale moon reflected off the snowy grounds and onto the ceiling. Ginny hesitated at the door of the bathroom, but walked past it, shaking her head.

The hallways were silent and deserted. Every step she took felt heavy. She kept looking at torches, statues, dots on the map, tapestries, anything to distract her from what she was about to do, but none of it worked.

 _What if she found out I talked to Lyra and Naira?_

The fifth floor corridor was bathed in moonlight and Ginny's shadow stretched across the wall next to her.

 _What if she's into really painful stuff? She asked me if I was into that, but still..._

The door was ahead.

 _What if she tells everyone anyway?_

She stopped in front of it and simply stared at the wood. She swallowed. She took a deep breath, and gave her name.

"Rose."

The door opened into the vast and deserted bathroom. The only person there was the mermaid on the wall who, Ginny was glad to see, was fast asleep on her rock. Ginny wondered if the nymphs had ever mingled with the merpeople. Probably.

She closed the door and made sure it was locked before walking over to the empty pool. She began filling it with water. No bubbles, no perfume, just water. When it was full, she stepped back and looked around before reaching up and pulling her robe off.

 _Am I really going to do this?_

Her robes fell to her feet.

 _I'm really going to do this._

She tossed her wand on her pile of clothes.

 _I have to do this._

She stood at the water's edge, her toes curled over the precipice, and looked into the pool.

 _No matter what._

She jumped. Warm water rushed up and enveloped her naked body. Sound became muffled and she simply floated there, waiting. It was so relaxing and comfy and peaceful here, and...

And the thought flickered into her head. It was new, the first time she had ever thought it. She had never, ever even considered it before. She'd never had any reason to before.

But there it was. Almost like a promise. A way out. It would be so nice. She wouldn't have to worry anymore.

She opened her eyes.

And there was Maera.

She didn't jump. She didn't yell in surprise. She just looked at the nymph, and the nymph looked back. Maera smiled and swam up to meet her.

And Ginny let go. All the pent up nerves that had been twisting inside her all day, all week, simply vanished. She felt nothing. Nothing but the water around her and the touch of skin as Maera wrapped herself around Ginny and planted her mouth over her's.

Maera opened her mouth wide and Ginny breathed in fresh air that smelled faintly like snow and pine needles. It reminded her of Christmas and snowball fights on the grounds and the tree that her father always brought in, and Harry and Ron, Fred and George, mum, Bill, Charlie, even Percy.

And Hermione.

Ginny curled into the fetal position as her chest constricted. As her eyes began to sting, she heard a voice speaking to her as clear as if they were above water.

"I was beginning to think you weren't going to come. I'm so glad you did though. I thought we'd have our little meeting alone tonight. No need for anyone else getting in the way."

She felt fingers between her legs and at her breasts. The water around her body was moving and pressing against her. It felt like lips in some places and tongues and hands in others.

It felt like not one, but a dozen nymphs at once. Like a dozen strangers all touching her, molesting her. It felt horrible. It felt disgusting.

It felt good.

Ginny began to breath heavily as the water entered her. It was moving around inside her, changing between flesh and water like Lyra had, but it was rougher, greedier, hungrier.

Ginny's voice sounded muffled, like she was yelling into a pillow. Her mind was becoming muffled too. The discomfort was being blocked out slightly by the primal feeling of mounting pleasure.

Every second felt like a minute and every minute felt like an hour. Maera was true to her word: she drew Ginny out to the edge and held her there. Ginny had little control over her body and she felt her hips bucking against the water without her instruction, trying to find release.

"Beg."

"No," she said into Maera's mouth.

"You clearly want it. I can feel you, there's no point lying. We may be underwater, but you're wet in more ways than one. I like it when people beg. Beg for it and I promise I'll give it to you."

"No!"

"Pinky promise?"

"NO!"

She was right there. One good shift and she would reach her limit. But she wasn't going to beg. She was absolutely not going to beg.

So she thought of Hermione. Of her body against her's. Her lips, her hair, her face, her eyes. Her everything.

It was all she needed. Ginny felt the pleasure escaping her and her whole body shook. She felt the most welcome oblivion in the world take hold of her for a moment before she came crashing back to earth. Back to reality.

The water around her loosened its hold and Maera's mouth disappeared. Ginny immediately struck out for the surface, but as she swam, she opened her eyes and saw that the surface was not getting any closer.

"Ah ah ah, we're not done yet. I think I like doing you underwater."

Ginny tried to yell, but water filled her mouth and she choked.

"You talk less, for one thing."

She thrashed against the water violently, trying to punch it. Then Maera's mouth wrapped around her's again and she gulped desperately at the air, coughing awkwardly in the confined space. She was still breathing heavily when the water spoke to her again.

"That's better. You're acting like you're not enjoying this, but that's not true is it? You already came all on your own. I didn't say you could cum, now did I? You're going to have to repay me for that."

The water pushed against her arms in a concentrated current, directing one hand to a breast and the other between a pair of legs.

"You can do whatever you want. Go ahead."

Ginny tried to remove her hands, but the water kept them where they were.

"Come on, we both know that wasn't a request. Touch me. Fuck me. I can take anything you feel like giving me. Show me how good you are with your hands."

Ginny began to move her fingers. She pushed all the anger and fear that was screaming inside her into her work. She was as rough as possible, pinching and twisting and shoving, but the water only cooed and moaned its satisfaction.

She thought fleetingly of trying to imagine Maera as Hermione again. It would make it so much easier to stomach. But this wasn't Hermione. There couldn't be anything less like Hermione. She didn't deserve to be compared to this.

Ginny didn't change her method of attack, she kept going on and on and on. Her hands began to ache.

The water sighed.

"Ah well. I suppose that will do for tonight."

The flesh around her fingers tightened and a warm liquid came flooding out. Ginny retracted her hands as fast as possible, disgusted, and waved them around the water, trying to clean them. She pulled away from the mouth and swam upwards again. This time, she succeeded in breaking the surface of the water.

She gasped for breath then struck out for the side of the pool as if there was a shark swimming with her. She almost wished there was.

The air was freezing and her skin erupted in goosebumps all over. She pulled herself out and ran to the wall where a rack of fluffy white towels were hung. She wrapped herself in one, not because it was cold or she wanted to dry herself. She wrapped herself because she was so, so ashamed.

"Well, what did you think?"

Ginny turned and saw Maera resting on the side of the pool with her breasts pressed against her arms.

She had nothing to say. She merely stared at the nymph, at the creature that had violated her.

"Nothing? No complement? No thank-you? Aw, you're hurting my feelings," Maera pouted. "Do you have any idea how many people would have fantasized what you—"

"Shut up."

Maera raised her eyebrows. "I beg your par—"

"I said SHUT UP!" Ginny's voice echoed around the room. She marched over to her clothes and picked up her wand, pointing it deliberately into the nymph's startled face.

"Woah woah!" said Maera, swimming away from the side of the pool, her eyes darting from the wand tip to Ginny's face and back again. "We haven't forgotten our little agreement now, have we? You wouldn't—"

"Wouldn't I?" Ginny snarled. Her heart was pounding and there was a ringing in her ears. "Do _you_ have any idea how many people would smash your brains against a wall if you did to them what you've done to me?"

"What? Guaranteed sex? Who wouldn't want—"

"That was rape! Fucking rape, Maera! I have a girlfriend and you— you're forcing me to—"

"Hey, I'm not forcing you to do anything! You chose this yourself, remember? Of your own accord. Now if you don't want me to tell everyone you care about what _you_ agreed to, you better think about what you just said and apologize!"

"You're blackmailing me," Ginny almost laughed through her fury, "and you think you have the moral high ground here?! How are you _not_ forcing me into this?!"

"Did I force you to spy on me? No, you were the one who decided to masturbate to a total stranger even though you already had a perfectly good _girlfriend_ to masturbate to! That was you, not me!"

"Yeah? And our little 'agreement'? You just made that out of the kindness of your heart, did you?"

"We have to have sex! Like you have to eat and sleep all the time! It's not like I can just pass up the opportunity—"

The door rattled behind her and Ginny twisted around, her heart hammering. It was still locked and whoever was trying to get in was cursing. Then came the sound of keys jangling.

Ginny dropped her towel and scrambled to her clothes, scooping them up clumsily in her panic. She pointed her wand at herself and saw her arms, legs and clothes vanish.

"See you in a week, _Rose_ ," hissed Maera behind her. Ginny turned, but the nymph had already disappeared.

She muttered, " _silencio"_ , just as the door burst open and Filch came wheezing into the bathroom.

"I know you're in here!" he yelled to the room at large. "There's no point hiding!" Then he saw the towel lying at the edge of the pool and laughed in triumph before striding over to her.

Ginny dodged out of the way, her wet feet making no sound on the hard floor, and started for the door. She didn't look back. Once she had gained the hallway, she broke into a run, her feet slapping silently against the cold stone.

She ran flat out up to Gryffindor tower, gave the password to a completely bewildered Fat Lady, and fell through the portrait hole into the common room. It was still empty, but all the same Ginny curled up and covered herself in shame.

It took her a while to get a hold of herself, but as the cool air touched her wet skin, she shivered and got up. She undid the disillusionment charm and dried herself off with her wand before slipping into her clothes again.

Ginny half ran up the stairs, trying her best to keep her breathing steady. She could still feel the places on her body where Maera had touched her, almost as if her fingers and whatever else she had been using were still pressed against her. She felt dizzy, disoriented, as though she was about to faint.

The dormitory was quiet and dark, the girls' slow breathing the only noise. Ginny walked past her bed and pulled back the curtains of Hermione's four-poster.

Her brown, bushy hair was beautifully ruffled and it looked like she had been drooling just a little bit. Ginny's throat constricted and she felt the most amazing urge to laugh. She reached down and wiped the drool away.

Hermione stirred and looked up at her groggily.

"Ginny?" she whispered. "What's up?"

The thing against which she had been fighting on and off all week was threatening to overpower her. She could feel a burning, prickling feeling in the inner corners of her eyes. She blinked and stared down at Hermione. At the girl she was hurting. At the girl she was cheating on.

At the girl she wanted.

"Hey," said Hermione, sitting up and looking concerned. "It's okay, everything's alright, come here." She pulled back the blankets and scooted over.

Ginny didn't hesitate to climb into the bed. Hermione threw the sheets over her and pulled Ginny into a close embrace. As she did so, she reached over and picked up her wand, pointed it at the other beds and muttered something that sounded like " _muffliato_ ".

Ginny could only shut her eyes and breath. In, out, in, out. It didn't help.

"I'm sorry," she said. And for the first time in what felt like forever, she began to cry. "I'm so, s—sorry."

"Shh, it's okay," Hermione was stroking her hair.

"No it's n—not. I l—l—lied to you. I lied to you. I'm so sorry."

"It's fine, I forgive you. You were scared of how I would react, that's perfectly understandable. I don't blame you for losing your temper with Luna. It's okay. You were under a lot of stress."

Ginny wanted to scream. She wanted to hit something, throw something, break something. She wouldn't even use her wand, she would just punch the wall until something broke. Anything to release the horror inside her.

But she didn't scream. She didn't hit anything. She didn't do any of it. She just lay there, and cried and cried and cried. Like a child. Like a weakling.

Like a coward.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

* * *

"Ginny? Come on, wake up."

Ginny pressed her eyes shut and squirmed, trying to get comfortable again. She was so tired and her pillow was so warm. It took her a few seconds to realize her pillow was not a pillow at all, but someone's chest, and then another second to realize it belonged to Hermione. She didn't open her eyes though. Who knew a chest could be so comfortable?

"You've got to get back to your bed, Ginny. The other girls will be up soon and they'll see us." Hermione nudged her shoulder gently, but she only groaned and pressed her face against Hermione.

"What time is it?" she moaned.

"Almost six."

Ginny groaned again and buried her face in Hermione's cleavage. Hermione sucked in a breath and underneath her breast, Ginny felt her heart beat quicken. She listened to it, focusing on the rhythm.

Bah-dum bah-dum bah-dum.

As she lay there, nestled under Hermione's arms, their legs slightly tangled and their bodies close, Ginny remembered. It all came flooding back to her. She wanted so badly for it to have been a dream. She wished with all her heart. But it had to have happened, for why else would she be in Hermione's bed?

But the pain and the shame she expected to feel were muffled by the comfort she felt being with Hermione. The infatuation she felt towards her, the allure, the...

The wanting. The not-love. That was the other thing that she remembered from last night. She knew now that her feelings for Hermione did not go beyond that of physical attraction and close friendship. They never had.

Could she tell her? Surely she could. She had too many secrets already. She would have to tell her this at the very least, but not right now. It would ruin the moment. Ruin Hermione's day.

Possibly more than that.

"I had a bad night," she whispered.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Hermione whispered back, her chin resting on her head.

 _Yes_. "No, not really." _I'm lying to you_. "It's not that big a deal, I just—" _allowed myself to be raped_ "—got emotional. There's a lot going on, I guess."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"No, don't be." She kissed Hermione's collarbone and felt her suck in a breath again. "You have nothing," she kissed the base of her neck, "to be," she kissed her adam's apple, "sorry for." As she kissed her jawline, Hermione shuffled her legs slightly.

"Ginny, I... hah... We can't—" she breathed.

"I know." She leaned up and kissed her ear. Hermione sighed against her cheek. "It's just... been a while."

Hermione didn't answer. Ginny didn't push it any further. She didn't think she could manage it anyway, considering. So instead, she simply lay there, slowly waking up. She listened to Hermione's breathing settle down, the birds chirping outside the window, the steady beating of Hermione's heart.

 _Today is a new day. I am going to face it and live with what I did._

She took a deep breath and disentangled herself from Hermione's arms. She pulled back the curtains of the four-poster and walked groggily over to her own empty, cold bed. She fell onto it and turned her face to gaze at Hermione. For a moment, neither of them spoke.

"What was the spell you used last night?" asked Ginny, resting her head on her arm.

" _Muffliato?_ It fills the ears of any person in the vicinity with and unidentifiable buzzing noise, muffling any conversation you might want to have."

Ginny merely stared at her, surprised. "Where did you learn it? I've never heard of a spell like that."

"Well... that's because it was invented by Snape. When he was in school."

"Oh," said Ginny. "I'm guessing it was another one of those Half Blood Prince spells you guys didn't tell me about." Try as she might, she couldn't keep the note of derision out of her voice. If she had known about the spell before...

"I'm sure you would have gotten plenty use out of it, what with... one thing or another," Hermione grinned and slipped out of bed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Ginny.

"Just that you can be a little... noisy sometimes." Hermione kept her face innocent as she pulled on her clothes. Ginny felt her face heat up a little. It was a wonder Hermione hadn't realized what she was doing with the nymphs yet. She knew Ginny almost too well.

"You're not seriously getting up are you?"

"Of course I am. I have Arithmancy and Ancient Runes exams today. I wanted to get up to study sooner, but I was worried about waking you up too early."

Ginny laughed and pulled the covers over herself.

"Do you want to come help me catch up on some studying?"

"Tempting, but no thanks. I think I'll catch up on some—" she yawned a perfectly timed yawn, "—sleep."

"Alright," said Hermione, standing next to her bed, fully clothed. "I'll see you sometime later today then." She looked down at Ginny for a second as though she was waiting for her to say something.

"What is it?" asked Ginny.

Hermione blinked, then shook her head. "Nothing. I'll see you later."

Ginny watched her leave.

* * *

As Ginny walked down to breakfast two hours later, Hermione having taken her meal up to the common room to study, she began thinking about Maera again. No matter how many times she told herself what she was doing was the best option, she couldn't help but fantasize telling everyone about the nymph just to see the look on her face when she realized she had no control over Ginny. She could turn her in to the Department of the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and have her locked up for murder, blackmail, rape, being an asshole.

But, as she reminded herself again and again, that would ruin her life as well. Besides, she wasn't even sure how a Ministry official would go about catching a creature that could turn into water and swim away in an instant. If she knew, she could have done it herself already. What if she conjured a giant glass bottle around the nymph? That could work, but she didn't know how to work a spell like that. For something that big—

"ROSIE!"

Ginny jumped, adrenaline rocking through her body as she wheeled around.

The twins were standing behind her, flashing identical grins. Lyra was wearing her Ravenclaw uniform from before, but Naira was decked out in the Hufflepuff colors.

"Stop scaring me like that!" Ginny hissed, looking around to see if anyone was in the vicinity.

"Just testing your reflexes," said Naira, studying her nails unconcernedly.

"You test positive for pantiesinaknotitus," said Lyra, crossing her arms. "And yes, I did just make that up, on the spot."

"Like a comedy goddess," muttered Naira.

"Jealous."

"Not."

"Are."

"What are you doing here?" Ginny cut in. "If someone sees you—"

"Gods, I hope not," said Naira, pulling at her uniform. "Yellow is _not_ my color. Why I ever—"

"We came to see you, dummy," said Lyra. "What, did you think we'd forgotten what day it was?"

"What... day? It's Tuesday, but—"

"Yeah, the dreaded morning after. We'd though we'd check up on you, you know? See how you're doing."

"She's horribly sick with pantyitus or whatever," said Naira.

"Pantiesinaknotitus, thank you very much."

"Ah."

Ginny blinked. She had completely forgotten the twins promise to help her through the whole Maera ordeal. She felt a sudden urge to run forward and hug the sisters, but resisted. The fact that she had someone to talk to about it was more relieving than she could say.

"So," said Lyra, fixing Ginny with a slightly more serious look. "How did it go?"

"She... didn't tell you two about it?" asked Ginny hesitantly.

"No, we haven't seen her for a couple days actually."

"We're not roomies, you know," said Naira. "After what she did to you and Lyra, we've kept our distance."

"Yeah, so what happened? She didn't hurt you did she?" Lyra was looking anxious.

"No, no, she was fine," said Ginny, unable to meet Lyra's purple eyes. But a second later, she changed her mind. "Actually, no, she wasn't fine at all."

"And there you go," said Naira.

"Alright, come on," sighed Lyra. The twins walked into a side room, holding the door open for Ginny. "Let's hear it."

Ginny found she had no problem recounting her experience from the night before. It didn't seem like she was offending the twins in any way by making such damning claims about their friend, although it looked like that was being called into question now. She left no detail out, determined not to lie about what she'd done for once.

The twins didn't speak while Ginny told them what Maera did to her. They didn't crack a joke or nudge each other. On the contrary, by the time Ginny was finished, Naira was looking outraged and Lyra almost sick. For a moment, none of them spoke.

"...Well then," said Lyra, swallowing.

"I am going to kill her," said Naira in a would-be calm voice. "I'm actually going to kill her."

"Holy shit. I'm so sorry, Rose," said Lyra, looking devastated. "If I'd have known she was doing that to you, I..."

"There wasn't anything you could have done," said Ginny. "I had to go through with it."

"No, you don't understand, I tasted you two on the water. I could have come and helped you, but I just... I didn't know, I didn't..."

"You can't tell the difference?" asked Ginny, genuinely curious. "You know, between pleasure and... uh..."

"Rape?" offered Naira. "No, we just thought you were... having a good time."

The twins were both looking down at their feet. Lyra was rubbing her arm and Naira was biting her lip.

"Hey," said Ginny. "It's not your fault. She would have just gone off on you two for interrupting us. I had to go through with it, it was my choice. I'm the one to blame for all—"

"No, you are not!" the twins said in unison.

"Maera's the one who did this to you," said Lyra. "She's the one forcing you into this, not you."

"You can't blame yourself for something like this, it'll mess you up like, really really badly," said Naira.

"Yeah?" said Ginny. "I had the power to put a stop to it. I can just tell everybody what I've been doing and—"

"That's not how blackmail works!" said Lyra. "Sure she's giving you a way out, but it's just more torture for you and your girlfriend. You—are—not—to—blame!"

"So I should keep at it then?" said Ginny.

Lyra opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again. "That's not my point. I'm trying to tell you that this isn't your fault. Blackmail never is and rape certainly isn't."

"So what would you suggest I do?"

"I don't know, just... I don't know."

They fell silent, but Ginny already knew what she was going to do. She was going to go forward with the deal. She could muster through it, especially now that she had the twins' support. As long as Maera didn't get too violent with her, she would live with it.

"Anyway," said Naira in a brisk voice. "I suppose this makes our day more straightforward, doesn't it Lyra?"

Lyra sighed and nodded.

"What do you mean?" asked Ginny, looking between the two of them.

"You like massages?" asked Naira. "Or Butterbeer?"

"I... well yes, but—"

"Excellent!" said Lyra in a business like tone, walking over to her. "You are going to go on a date with us. No ifs, ands, or buts about it."

"Maybe a butt or two."

"Not the right time, sis."

"Right, sorry. But still..."

"Hey, I said no buts!"

Ginny looked between the twins, and smiled. She couldn't put into words how grateful she was towards them. "Alright. I'd love to."

"Awesome! Now, we'll need you to change our eyes if we're going out again," said Lyra. She bent forward, much more relaxed about the procedure than before. "Blue, please."

Ginny took her wand out and obligingly changed Lyra's purple eyes. Once she had finished, she turned to Naira, who leaned forward a little more dubiously than her sister.

"It's fine, it just tickles a bit," said Lyra.

A few seconds later, the twins stood before her, both convincingly human and both identically pretty.

"So where are we going?" asked Ginny.

"Three Broomsticks," said Lyra. "Rosmerta and I go way back. I'll be able to get us a room no problem. We just need... Actually I don't know how we're going to get there. It's rather far from here, isn't it?"

"Do you just swim everywhere you go?" asked Ginny.

"Well, most of the time, but we can walk. Actually, on second thought, that would suck for you, wouldn't it? Going through about a mile of snow?"

"You had a week to plan this through," muttered Naira, her face in her hand.

"It's okay, there's another way," Ginny said quickly, pulling the Marauder's Map out of her bag and pausing. "...And it would probably be best if I wasn't seen with you two when we got there."

So they planned their escape for the day. Ginny had no qualms about skipping classes whatsoever. She definitely needed a break. Her previous meetings with the twins had always been cut short and she liked being with them. She would have to return in time for lunch with Hermione, but that wasn't for hours.

They left the room together, Ginny leading the way with the map and directing them up two floors where they came across a statue of a one-eyed, humpbacked witch. Ginny tapped it's back, said " _dissendium"_ and the hump opened up into a hole large enough to fit through. Lyra whistled.

Ginny sent the two of them down first before going in herself. She slid down the short slide and ended up in a dark tunnel that stretched ahead. She set her bag next to exit. Its absence seemed to solidify the fact that she was walking out of the school. They set off together, their feet echoing around them.

"Do you mind if I ask you something?" Ginny started, falling into step between the twins.

"Obviously, you've just done so," said Lyra, smiling. Naira groaned next to her.

"How old are you two?"

"Six hundred and twenty-two, last May," said Lyra.

"So still in our twenties," Naira winked, grinning at Ginny's astounded face.

"Our birthday was actually on the day of the battle," said Lyra. "One of the coolest birthdays ever."

"You fought in the battle?!" Ginny gasped, almost tripping over herself because she was staring at Lyra.

"What? No! No way, there were Acromantulas everywhere! We just watched most of it."

"Speak for yourself, I got some action," said Naira, puffing out her chest. "I fought off a Death Eater all on my own."

"He got hit by a spell before you even landed a punch," said Lyra.

"Nah-uh! I totally took him on, and I knocked him out cold!"

"Sure," said Lyra. "Oh! And we saw Harry Potter for the first time! He's not as cute as I thought he would be, though. Kind of scrawny."

Ginny's gut twisted, but she didn't say anything.

"I don't care what he looks like, he's a hero in my book," said Naira. "I didn't understand a word of what he was saying, but it had to be pretty badass to scare You-Know-Who like that."

"That was awesome!" said Lyra enthusiastically. "I wish I could go back and watch it again. Those last three-on-one fights with You-Know-Who and that one dark witch were the most intense duels I have ever seen in my life, and I'm six hundred!"

"I was there, too," Ginny said softly.

The twins looked at her. She avoided their gaze.

" _You_ were in the battle?!" Lyra blurted out.

"Yeah, I was there from the start. And I was one of the three who fought against the dark witch."

"WHAT?!" shouted Lyra, her voice echoing around the tunnel.

"Woah, hold the fuck up!" said Naira, coming to a stop and grabbing Ginny's shoulder. "Are you serious?!"

"Yeah," said Ginny calmly. "Her name was Bellatrix Lestrange, and my mom killed her."

Lyra blinked rapidly, clearly unable to comprehend what she was hearing. Naira's mouth had fallen open.

"I'm sorry, your _mom_ killed her?! The woman at the end who called her a bitch?"

"She said 'not my daughter, you bitch'," Lyra said quietly, and then in almost a whisper, "Right after the witch almost killed a girl with red hair."

Naira stared at her sister, then back at Ginny, her eyes wide. For a moment, neither of them said anything, they just stared at Ginny.

"Who _are_ you?" asked Naira.

Ginny took a deep, steadying breath.

In... and then out.

"My name is Ginny Weasley."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

* * *

For a moment, neither of the twins reacted. They didn't seem to understand immediately what Ginny had said, or the implications behind it.

And then the penny dropped. Lyra's eyebrows traveled up her forehead and disappeared beneath her bangs. Ginny could practically see the whole story unfolding behind her widening eyes.

"Oh shit," was all she could manage.

"What?" said Naira, glancing between Ginny and Lyra. "I don't get it, who is she?"

Lyra just continued to stare. Ginny faltered a little under her gaze. She lowered her eyes in shame, waiting for the outburst.

"What's going on?" said Naira in a tone of rising frustration. "Do you know her?"

"She... she's Harry Potter's girlfriend," said Lyra in a stunned voice.

Naira swiveled around to Ginny, but Ginny kept her eyes fixed on the wall behind them.

"Wait, I thought... But she's dating that brown haired girl, isn't she?"

"And that girl... she's Hermione Granger... isn't she?" said Lyra.

Ginny nodded.

"Who's Hermione Granger? How do you know all this?"

"I _read_ , Naira," said Lyra, waving her off.

Silence filled the tunnel. Ginny didn't feel like looking up at either of them. She didn't feel like doing anything at the moment. She had just given away her deepest darkest secret and now she was going to find out firsthand how people would react to it. What had she been thinking?

"Rose? Uhm... Ginny?" It felt strange hearing Lyra call her by her true name for the first time.

Lyra put a hand on Ginny's shoulder. Ginny looked up, rather defiantly. Lyra was scrutinizing her, studying her, her blue eyes glittering in the dark.

"You," she said slowly. "You look more like a tea sort of person than Butterbeer. That right?"

"What?"

"Tea. Really calms the nerves. Butterbeer's great and all, but it just doesn't hold a candle to good tea, don't you agree? Come on then," she started walking again, pulling a bewildered Naira along with her.

Ginny stared after, perplexed, then ran forward to catch up with them.

"But—"

"What'd I say about buts?" said Lyra sternly, her face forward.

Ginny closed her mouth, falling into step right behind the sisters. Naira kept glancing back at her and muttering to Lyra, but the latter only hushed her, saying things like "Later, later..." and "Just shut up and enjoy the scenery. Look at that rock." They walked for what felt like an hour, although that might have only been because Ginny's mind was racing.

That had not been the reaction she had been anticipating. She had expected Lyra to look disgusted at least, shout at her at the worst. But Lyra still wanted to spend time with her. Comfort her even.

Ginny couldn't help it. She smiled.

They walked on and on. Ginny was just wondering whether there was an end to the tunnel when it started sloping upwards. They soon reached the foot of some worn stone steps, which rose out of sight above them. They began to climb. A hundred steps, two hundred steps, Ginny lost count as she climbed, watching her feet. Then, without warning, Lyra let out an exclamation as her head hit something with a loud thunk.

"Ow!" she hissed, rubbing her head. "...I think I found the... _fucking_ exit..."

Ginny looked up and saw her climbing up through what looked like a trapdoor. Naira followed and Ginny climbed up with her. She arose into a dim cellar full of wooden crates and boxes. She climbed out of the trapdoor and replaced it. It blended so perfectly with the dusty floor that it was impossible to tell it was there.

"Where are we?" whispered Naira.

"The cellar of Honeydukes," Ginny whispered back, wiping the dust off herself. "You know, the candy shop."

"I know what Honeydukes is," Naira gave her a withering look that wasn't very withering. "We come here like every week, but I've never been down _here_."

"Have you had their chocolate before?"

"Nah. I prefer the toffees, to be honest."

"What? You're joking, their chocolates are the best in the world!"

Naira shrugged. Ginny shook her head and made her way to the wooden stairs that led up to the shop. She climbed as quietly as she could and reached the door. She opened it slowly and peered out.

The inside of Honeydukes was, for the first time in Ginny's memory, quiet and almost empty. She supposed the store's main source of customers was Hogwarts students, and the next Hogsmeade weekend wasn't for another week.

Ginny inhaled deeply. Without the usual crowd of noisy students to distract her, she was now able to lose herself in the wave of conflicting but no less delicious aromas of the world's finest sweet shop. Her mouth began to water as she looked around at all the colorful shelves and buckets of sweets.

The only person in the shop was the owner, a rather large, balding man who was standing by a towering shelf of the aforementioned chocolates, sorting them all into neat lines. His back was turned to them and they had a clear shot at the door, but Ginny didn't trust the floorboards enough to risk it.

Struck by a sudden inspiration, she pointed her wand at the man and whispered " _muffliato_ ".

Nothing whatsoever happened.

Biting her lip, she motioned behind her to the twins and stepped out from behind the desk. Sure enough, as they crept to the exit, the floor creaked a little. Ginny held her breath, but the man didn't seem to notice. He continued to shuffle the chocolates around, whistling quietly to himself.

The spell must have worked. Ginny motioned to the twins again and they hurried out the door and out into the snowy lane.

Hogsmeade looked like a Christmas card. The early snow lay on the rooftops of the cottages and shops in a thick heap, dripping steadily in the sunlight. It crunched underfoot as she and the twins made their way down the lane.

"It's so quiet." said Ginny, looking around at the deserted street. "Every time I've ever come here it's been so crowded and loud."

"You bon'd ged owd offen eough," said Naira through a mouthful of toffee.

Lyra shot her a swift look of disgust before turning to Ginny. "It can be a real ghost town without all the students. That doesn't suit us though, we'll be seen more easily. Come on."

Lyra led them down a side alley between two shops. They kept off the main road, winding their way through dark alleys that Ginny had never been in and avoiding the windows as much as possible. Ginny followed closely behind the twins, trusting them to know where to go because she had no idea. Eventually they came to the side of a building Ginny recognized as the Three Broomsticks.

"Ginny," said Lyra, and Ginny felt her stomach squirm guiltily at the sound of her name again. "Head around to the back of the shop and stay out of sight. We'll call you when we get a room."

"Um... okay."

"We'll only be a minute. Go on."

Ginny trudged off away from the twins and around the wall of the shop, ducking under the windows as she went. She crouched next to a chimney along the back of the shop so that she couldn't be seen, and waited. After about five minutes, in which her toes began to grow numb from the cold and her cheeks stung, she heard a soft clatter from above and looked up to see Lyra leaning out of a window on the third floor.

"Here," she hissed. "Climb up."

A rope of blankets was tossed down. Ginny walked over to it, tugged, and began to climb. She made her way up the wall, her Quidditch training serving her well in the effort, and made it to the window without breaking a sweat. Naira helped her through the window and she straightened up, looking around.

The room was small, about the size of her bedroom back home, but just as cozy. A fire crackled gently under a stone mantle opposite a small, hard looking bed. Ginny noticed a tray sitting on a table laden for tea.

"You said you know Madam Rosmerta?" she asked.

"Yeah, we've known each other for a long time," said Lyra, pouring tea.

"Did you two... you know...?"

"Almost actually," said Naira. "We met her when she was in school, just like you. She wasn't into that kind of thing though. But enough about her!" She sat herself on the bed and patted the space next to her. "More about you, _Ginny Weasley_."

Ginny twisted her numb toes in her shoes and sat on the bed. Lyra walked over and handed her and Naira a cup of steaming tea.

"Thanks," said Ginny, taking a small sip.

"So," said Lyra, pulling up a chair. She looked at Ginny a long while, then said, not unkindly, "How long have you been going out with Hermione?"

"A little over a week now. We got together the night before I met you."

"Does Harry know?"

"No."

"Are... you going to tell him?"

"...No."

"Hm. Does Maera know?"

"No. She knows about Hermione, but that's it. She doesn't even know my name. I thought it would be safer, I mean, she doesn't need more dirt on me."

Lyra nodded in agreement. They all drank for a while. Ginny listened to the rumble of voices floating up from the bar downstairs and wondered if students had ever been up in these rooms.

"Do you love her?" asked Naira.

Ginny had just raised her cup to her lips, but she lowered it, looking into the dark liquid.

"Or him?" Naira continued. "Or both? Neither?"

"Naira—" said Lyra gently.

"What? I'm just curious! It's kind of important, isn't it?"

"I..." said Ginny and the other two fell silent, watching her. "I don't know. I don't know anymore. Ever since I..."

"Ever since you what?" prompted Naira.

Ginny hesitated, clutching at her mug for warmth.

"Come on," said Lyra gently. "You can tell us. Do we look like the kind of people who judge?"

"We've been in every kind of romantic and sexual relationship you can think of, even with each other. I think we can handle a little scandal like this."

Ginny smiled weakly and took a breath, breathing in the faint smell of alcohol and pipe smoke that hung around the room.

She broke into speech. She told the twins everything, more than she told Luna. It was somehow easy to go into the details with the twins. It was like they said, sexual embarrassment wasn't really a factor anymore. Naira snorted and Lyra aw'ed appreciatively when Ginny told them how Hermione had passed out during their first time together. Otherwise they kept quiet and let Ginny talk herself hoarse.

When she had finished, Naira flopped onto her back and Lyra downed the rest of her drink. Ginny raised her mug to her lips again only to find her tea had grown cold.

"Done?" said Lyra, noticing Ginny's face. Ginny nodded and passed her mug to her.

"So... who do you love?" Naira asked again.

"I already said, I really don't know at this point. I thought I knew before, but... Everything's so confusing."

"Well, who do you think loves you more?"

Ginny smiled and surprised herself by saying, in an uncharacteristically defeated voice, "I don't think I deserve either of their love at this point."

"Don't say that," said Naira. "Everyone deserves love."

"Here, take your shirt off."

"W-What?!" Ginny swiveled around at Lyra, completely thrown.

"The massage! I meant for the massage! I'm not trying to—"

But Ginny was laughing along with Naira. Lyra's face was just too perfect. It felt wonderful to lie back on the bed next to Naira and laugh and laugh until her sides hurt. After a moment or two, Lyra grinned as well.

"Well, come on then," she said, looking down on them. "It won't be the same with all that on. Unless you don't want it anymore...?"

"No, no," said Ginny, still chuckling. "I'd love it. A massage would be the best thing for me right now, I think."

She sat up and obligingly pulled her shirt off and, a little more hesitantly, her bra. Again, what was the point in being embarrassed? She had left herself completely vulnerable to the twins already, in more ways than one. She turned and laid facedown on the bed, shifting into a more relaxed position.

Naira slid up to her shoulder while Lyra crawled onto the bed on Ginny's other side. Without further ado, they went to work kneading and rubbing Ginny's back. As with their first meeting, the twins were synchronized in their movements. They worked in harmony with each other, as if they were of one mind and not two.

Ginny eyes fluttered closed. They knew exactly where to push and where to pull. Every time Ginny felt a part of her back lacking attention, a palm or finger was there. Any cold spots were immediately covered by a warm hand. Ginny felt all the stress and all the torments she had endured melt away almost like the beings that were touching her. Their warmth and their pressure seemed to pull her out of herself and into a world of bliss. It was as if they were playing her like an instrument.

She had thought they would talk more about her situation during the massage, but she found herself dosing off almost a minute in.

"I've gotta be back," she muttered slowly, using the last of her consciousness. "... by lunch..."

"Shhh."

"We'll wake you. Go to sleep now."

Hands traced up and down her spine, following the curve of each bone and rib and pressing against the tender spots only lightly. The taught muscles in her neck were rubbed and pushed and softened, fingers moving up to scratch gently through her hair. Her shoulders were cupped in warm palms, down her arms and around her toned bicep. Her hands were kneaded, each finger given firm attention. Fingernails ran up and down her skin in long, soft spirals and lines, forming shapes that she tried to make out.

* * *

The twins continued to massage the red headed girl long after she fell asleep between them. After about fifteen minutes however, they slowed to an eventual stop. The girl didn't make a sound as Naira deftly pulled her bra and shirt back on. She didn't wake when Lyra shifted her so that her head rested on the pillows. She didn't stir as they pulled the thick covers over her.

Both twins leaned down and kissed the girl on her forehead, admiring the curve of her nose and how her blazing hair contrasted with her pale, freckled skin. They cracked identical smiles. They were both remembering their other rose. A bright smile and an even brighter laugh that would sometimes devolve into snorts. She seemed so far away and yet so close, especially now.

They got up. Naira made a detour to the fire to stoke it back to life before the pair left the room. They closed the door soundlessly behind them and looked at each other.

They rarely ever needed to speak in each other's company. They knew what the other was thinking, they were almost always on the same wavelength. But now it seemed they had something to discus, and merely gazing into one another's unfamiliar blue eyes couldn't communicate it properly.

"She can't have both."

"Sure she can, how many people have we had at a time?"

"But she's not us. She's a human and humans can't be torn in two all the time, remember? She has to settle for one or the other."

"And how is she supposed to do that when she doesn't even know who she loves?"

"She'll talk to them and work something out."

"Yeah? And what about us? You don't seriously want to just do nothing?"

"No, of course not. We'll help her. We'll provide as much comfort and support as we can. It's the only thing we can do."

There was a pause.

"We could... talk to him about it," said Naira eventually.

"Don't be ridiculous—"

"Why not? I swear I'd love nothing more than to have a chat with the guy."

"And what? Ask for his autograph?"

"No, we'd just explain to him what we know."

"We've never even met him, how do you think he would react? How do you think we'd even get to see him?"

Naira's eyes flickered to the door.

"Nuh-uh, we are not doing that."

"Why not? Communication is key! Especially in something like this!"

"I agree, but it's not our place to talk to him, or her girlfriend! She needs to be the one to talk to them both."

"Why is everyone so set on being so secretive?! If—"

"Because it's sensitive information! Think about it. No— listen! She's been in love with him her whole life, probably grew up hearing his name as a kid, and then one day all her dreams come true and he actually falls for her. Then when he's gone, she starts getting feelings for her best friend and they have _sex_ behind his back. Can you image what that would do to the guy? How do you think the Wizarding world would treat her and Hermione after something like that?"

"But she's happy with both of them!"

Another pause.

"That can't happen. It doesn't work like that."

"The moment you say something can't happen—"

"No. Don't you dare twist her words for something like this."

The hallway seemed to drop several degrees. The twins glared at each other, neither wanting to back down. Then Naira eye's became shiny, and her gaze shifted away. Her lip trembled.

Lyra stepped forward and embraced her sister, her throat constricting. She didn't want to hurt her like that. She had never wanted to hurt her. And she said so by stroking her long hair and pressing their heads together.

"What are we going to do then?"

"We'll be there for her. Whenever and however she needs us to be. And we'll let her settle it in her own time."

"I just want her to be happy. I don't want her to be... conflicted, or..."

"I know. But she will be if she doesn't choose one. She has to settle."

"I wish she could have both of them. Could you imagine how hot that would be? She and Hermione could share Harry together in bed. I bet she would get all the attention."

"And her brother? Would he be the cameraman then?"

Naira chuckled. She loved her sister, more than sisters were supposed to, and yet she had loved so many others. Most people only settled for one person in their life, if at all, and she wished Ginny wouldn't. She might not think she deserved it, but it would be so good if she could love and be loved by more than just one person in her lifetime.

As they pulled away from each other, a more pressing matter presented itself to her.

"Do you think we should tell her? About Rose?"

Lyra thought for a minute before saying, in a quiet voice, "No. We promised her we wouldn't tell anyone and I intend to keep that promise. Besides, I kind of don't want to talk about it."

"Yeah, me too... And what about Maera? I mean, we can't just... _let_ her..."

"I know. I really want to do something, but I haven't been able to think of anything that doesn't end up getting Ginny hurt."

"I think I might have something..."

"Wait, what? You do? What is it?"

Naira opened her mouth, thought about it for a second, then closed it, shaking her head.

"Never mind. I said I'd keep it secret. I can't tell you."

"What? But you tell me everything! Why not?"

"It's 'sensitive information'."

Lyra glared at her.

"Fine, be that way. But if Maera hurts Ginny, or Ginny says she's had enough, you'll use what ever it is, won't you?"

"Of course."

"Good." She squinted at Naira. "...You didn't get more Dulcolax, did you?"

"Oh my god, how did you guess?"

"Wait, really?"

"No."

"Fuck you. Got my hopes up and everything..."

* * *

She was lying in an extremely warm bed. At first, she couldn't tell what time it was or what day, she was so disoriented. Trying to think was like trying to build a tower of cards back together, but she managed eventually.

Ginny groggily opened her eyes and yawned widely. Her back tingled slightly and she remembered the heavenly massage. She had to try some of those things the twins did to her on Hermione sometime.

She checked her watch. She had been asleep for more than an hour.

Ginny slid out of bed and stretched, yawning and covering her mouth again. The fire had crumbled into a pile of gleaming embers, leaving the room chillier than her bed. She stepped over to it and added a few logs to the grate. The flames began to grow slowly, dancing and licking up the wood.

She got up and poured herself another cup of tea, using her wand to heat it, and sat on the side of the bed.

Her head was clearer now than it had been in a while. The massage and the nap and the tea and the quiet all seemed to leave her in a more focused state than before. Now if ever was the time to take inventory. Now if ever was the time to make decisions.

Her mind buzzed with ideas and thoughts a mile a minute. It was important to go through her checklist of problems and come to conclusions, but as she did so, she found that the conclusions she reached scared her almost as much as not having them.

She was not in love with Hermione. She almost wished she could, but to add herself to the list of people she was lying to would only cause misery and heartbreak for both of them down the road. She had to tell her at some point, but not at least until Hermione made it clear she wanted more in their relationship.

She was not in love with Harry, either. If she could stray from him as thoroughly as she had during a month away from him, then she couldn't say to anyone that she loved him. The Boy Who Lived deserved better than a lesbian cheater driven by lust. She would have to break up with him.

She would have to break up with him.

 _Oh my god, I'm going to break up with him._

She caved in a little, her mind shivering to a sudden halt as the weight of the thought loomed over her. All her life she had fantasized about being with Harry, marrying him, building a life with him, and now... Now she had dashed any hope of ever being in any kind of healthy relationship with him. She would break up with him and that would be the end of it all.

But that would be all she did. She wouldn't tell him why. She couldn't tell him why. There was no point ruining Hermione's life along with her's. She would have to break his heart and give no reason for it. She would break up with both of them and maybe find someone to build a new life with. Someone she could be faithful and honest to and eventually grow to deserve.

And nobody would learn of what had happened between her and Hermione. Nobody but the people that knew now, and she trusted all of them to keep her secret.

All of them, except Maera.

The nymph was a threat, the loose end that could pull her life apart. If she was a poet, which she certainly wasn't, she would say the nymph was the thorn to her rose.

Her way ahead had been clear from the start. She was going to meet with Maera every week and hope and pray to whatever god might be out there that the nymph would keep her promise in the end. Why worry about her dignity? What dignity did she have left to worry about losing?

In...

... and out.

She had a plan. It was like in a duel: she knew what to do now. She wasn't winning, but she wasn't dying, and that was a start. She looked down at her tea, then downed it in one gulp, the hot liquid burning her throat slightly. She was going to regret that later.

As if on cue, she heard the door click behind her. She swiveled around to see the twins peeking in through the crack.

"Oh good, you're up," said Lyra, pushing the door open and walking in.

"We only just got back," said Naira, grinning at Ginny. "Here."

And from their bulging pockets they drew handfuls of wrapped chocolate.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

* * *

"I'd like everyone to know that this was my idea," said Lyra through a mouthful of chocolate.

"I'd like everyone to know that _I_ was the one who actually snuck it out, _Lyra_ ," Naira muttered.

"It's great," said Ginny, also stuffing her face with chocolate. "Thank you. Both of you."

The twins beamed.

They had gotten a bit of everything from Honeydukes and laid it all on the bed. There were samples of every flavor from dark to milk to white, iced cupcakes so light they floated an inch above the cushions, tiny decadent truffles that seemed to hold a river of caramel or melted chocolate inside, and the fat toffees Naira liked so much. There were even a few Muggle chocolates that they snapped apart and tossed to one another.

"Anything for our girl," said Lyra.

"We gotta be careful though," said Naira in mock seriousness. "We're spoiling her rotten."

"Yeah, before you know it, she's be asking us to do all her homework for her."

"If you wanted, I wouldn't say no," said Ginny, taking a dignified sip of tea.

"Wanted? I can't think of anything I'd rather do with my immortality than homework," said Lyra.

"What _do_ you guys do all the time?" said Ginny curiously, eating a swirly truffle. "It must get boring after the first century or so."

"Meh," Naira laid back on the bed, her arms folded under her head. "Not really. There's never enough to do in life."

"And we're not technically immortal," corrected Lyra. "We can die. I mean, we're not invincible."

"Now _that_ would be boring," said Naira.

"What do you mean?" asked Ginny.

"It'd be cheating. Death is part of what makes living so fun."

"Since when did you become such a philosopher?" Ginny asked after a short pause.

"Since I was immortal, _duh_."

"You pick up on a few things if you live long enough," explained Lyra. "Or you know, just repeat what someone else says. That works too."

"Piss off," said Naira. "I'm just passing it along."

"You still haven't answered my question though," said Ginny. "How do you guys fill up the years?"

"Sex, swimming, sex, traveling around the world, sex, going on adventures... uh..."

"You forgot sex," supplied Lyra.

"Oh yeah, sex."

"Doing people's homework," said Ginny slyly.

Naira rolled over, looking at Ginny with glee. "You're joking, Rosie! I haven't heard you joke since... ever?" She turned inquiringly to her sister.

"Didn't think you had it in you," said Lyra, slapping Ginny's shoulder as if she had just downed a whole bottle of Firewhiskey in one. "Well, to be fair, we have known each other for like, what? Four hours in total?"

"Four hours?!" Ginny exclaimed, looking down at her watch.

"Maybe? Plus, we didn't really catch you at a very joke-worthy point in your life, you know?"

Ginny relaxed. "You scared me, I thought I was late for lunch."

"I thought this was lunch?" asked Naira.

"No, I need to be back in time for actual lunch. With Hermione. The classes I'm skipping now are the only ones we're not sharing, but if she goes to eat and I'm not there..."

"Ah," said Naira.

"I should be getting back soon, though," said Ginny, looking wistfully back at her watch. She silently wished it was running fast.

So the three of them cleaned up the bed. As it would no doubt raise awkward questions if Ginny returned to the school with handfuls of Honeydukes sweets, the twins stuffed the remainder of the chocolates in their pockets, vowing to take good care of it.

They retraced their steps back to Honeydukes, dodging out of sight of a group of wizards who were making their way up the street. The snow was deep and Ginny's newly dried shoes became wet and frigid within minutes. They made it to the cellar and the tunnel with no trouble, meeting nobody but a few owls.

The walk back to Hogwarts was enjoyable, but bittersweet in a way. Her outing with the twins had been exactly what she needed. She didn't want it to end. She let the twins chat and argue. They talked about the many blunders of the other twin, how they had narrowly escaped from a group of merpeople only two days ago, the time when they raided every sweet shop in Rome.

"So," Naira was saying, "you're probably thinking, 'oh they can just swim to all the shops through the plumbing no problem,' well it's not as straightforward as you might think. When we're swimming through pipes, we don't know where the fuck we're going, it's all just a series of tubes. So we pop up anywhere, you know?"

"You scared the hell out of a chef, remember?" said Lyra.

"That was funny," Naira conceded, putting up a finger. "But I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about the you-know-what with—"

"Oh no," said Lyra exasperatedly. "We've been through this, it's not—"

"What?" said Ginny interested. "What happened?"

"Nothing, I—"

"She found her way into the bathroom of an abbey," Naira said excitedly. "Popped right up out of a toilet while some poor young novice was using it."

Ginny stifled a snort and glanced at Lyra to see her covering her face looking half embarrassed, half amused.

"Oh, but she didn't run away!" Naira went on. "She committed to it better than I've seen anyone commit. She said she was an angel, sent to inform the nun that she was pregnant with the next savior."

"What?!" Ginny stared at Lyra gleefully. "You didn't..."

"It wasn't..." Lyra muttered, while Naira and Ginny laughed. "—I didn't say it so... brazenly..."

"And then she just says 'you'll do fine' and jumps back in the toilet!"

"Well I had to tell her something!" Lyra said, despite the others not being able to hear her over the echoing of their own laughter. "She's a nun, she'd have thought I was some kind of... I don't know. I couldn't just leave without an explanation!"

"It was _perfect_ ," Naira was in stitches. "I tried to stay in the S-bend to see her reaction, but the poor girl just vomited into the bowl like, immediately after."

They all laughed. This time Lyra joined in, still looking marginally embarrassed.

As if on cue, the end of the tunnel came into sight. All of a sudden, Ginny's happiness stuttered to a halt. The exit seemed to remind her instantly what she was going back to. Guilt, stress, lies, weekly rape.

But at the forefront of her mind was Hermione. She was almost scared of confronting her now that she had explored her feelings for her. They were supposed to be best friends, a couple now. Inseparable. Trusting each other. How could she be any of that when she was constantly lying to her?

They reached the exit and stopped. There was a pause, and Ginny had the distinct impression the twins knew exactly what she was thinking.

"Guys?" she said tentatively.

"Yeah?" the twins said in unison.

Ginny hesitated but a moment. "What should I do?"

The twins looked at her. Ginny felt slightly ashamed of the childish question. She aught to be able to think for herself, to figure out her own life. But the past few weeks had changed her. Made her less confident with herself. It was back to how it used to be when she was a little girl, just starting school. Scared of what people thought of her. Afraid and unsure.

Controlled.

Lyra stepped forward suddenly and hugged her, and then Naira was there, both of them gripping her tightly and warmly. Ginny let out a breath, and raised her arms to hold on to them.

"Talk to her," said Lyra. "You don't have to tell her everything if you're not ready, but talk to her. About your relationship. About Harry. I'd be surprised if she didn't want to talk, too. She's smart, isn't she?"

Ginny gave a strained laugh. "Yes." She closed her eyes. "She is."

"Also, try doing something for her. To show her how much you appreciate her. Like a gift or something. Something creative that lets her know you care about her."

"Try anal," Naira whispered in her ear.

Ginny snorted with laughter while Lyra yelled at her sister. The tunnel rang with the sound of it.

"I WAS BEING SERIOUS, YOU PERVERT!" Lyra whacked at a giggling Naira, but she too was grinning in spite of herself.

"I was just joking—ow! Stop it!"

Ginny watched them struggling and laughing. Everything was going to be alright. So long as she had the twins, she would be alright. What had she done to deserve them?

"I'll leave you two to each other then," she said, moving to the exit of the tunnel and picking up her bag that she had left there hours ago.

"No! Don't leave me!" Naira cried in a desperate, dying voice. Lyra had her in a headlock, but she released her.

"Gods, I could kill you," she muttered, then turned to Ginny. "You'll be alright then, Ginny?"

"Yes," and for once, she meant it. "Thank you. For everything. I needed this."

"Then we'll do it again sometime?" Naira asked, eager.

"Absolutely. But maybe when I don't have to miss class. I probably have a ton of work that I need to catch up on now."

"Yeah, sorry about that," said Lyra. "We'd help with it, but... we don't want to."

Ginny grinned at them. Why did this have to end? Why couldn't she just run away from everything and be with these two?

But the castle called to her. Hermione called to her. Her life called to her. She couldn't run from everything. She would face it. Head on, or at least as head on as she could.

She waved to the twins and climbed up the stony slide, emerging moments later from the hump of the One-Eyed Witch. The third floor corridor was deserted. She looked down at her watch. It was close to lunch time, and classes were still going on.

Ginny took out the map. She thought briefly of going up to Gryffindor tower, but there was only a few minutes left before the bell, so she went into a deserted classroom to wait. She took the time to plot out what she was going to say to Hermione when they met up again. She could lie and tell her that her classes were so boring that she didn't remember what happened in them, but she was already lying to Hermione about so many other things that it felt terrible to add something so innocuous to the list. She would simply tell her that she had skipped class. That was true enough. The details could wait.

She still wasn't ready.

The bell rang shortly thereafter and she got up. Students were piling into the hallways. Ginny watched some of them as she filed into the crowd.

What would it be like to have a normal year? A life where exams were the most pressing matter weighing her down? Most of the people around her were enjoying an especially peaceful term, what with the recent downfall of Voldemort. None of them were being blackmailed. None of them were being forced into sex, the threat of social and relational upheaval dangling above them...

...Ginny scowled slightly.

She looked around again.

* * *

"I can't believe it."

Ginny looked up from her plate as Hermione slid in next to her. "What?"

"I didn't even finish my Arithmancy exam. I was so close, I only had one left. There wasn't enough time."

"What, did you get stuck on a problem?"

"Well, in a way. A few of them definitely weren't worded correctly, so I answered all the interpretations of it I could think of, just to be sure. Then a few asked for an explanation as to how we went about solving a problem, but there wasn't enough space for my answer, so I had to ask Professor Vector for another roll of parchment, but—"

Ginny ate her sandwich, watching Hermione talk, but not fully hearing her. She loved watching her talk, especially when it was about something for which she was passionate. It brought out the best in her, in Ginny's opinion.

What was more, Hermione seemed to be in a bad enough mood about her exam that she might not even ask Ginny how her classes went. Maybe she wouldn't have to tell her anything after all.

"—because it was only just one question! It would have only taken me a minute to complete anyway."

"That's so unfair," Ginny said. "I'm sure the rest of your answers more than made up for that one though. Didn't you get a hundred and ten percent on the last one?"

"Well, yes..." said Hermione.

Ginny grinned. "You sound almost disappointed with that."

"I finished that exam though."

Ginny laughed, and even Hermione seemed to loosen up.

"Oh," said Hermione, lowering her voice. "I almost forgot." She was blushing slightly. "Thank you."

"For what?" said Ginny, smiling too. Her heart seemed to flutter.

"You know," Hermione looked around to make sure nobody was listening in. "The flower. It was so sweet, but you really shouldn't have. Someone could have seen it."

"What are you talking about?" said Ginny, confused.

"The rose?" Hermione was looking slightly confused now too. "You put a rose on my pillow... didn't you?"


	17. Chapter 17

**-VERY IMPORTANT NEWS-**

I am abandoning this story.

I'm sorry to those of you who have followed this patiently throughout it's shaky development. I really wouldn't have gotten farther than a few chapters were it not for you, and that was important because writing this helped me grow and change into the writer I am now. Seriously, thank you.

For those of you reading this story for the first time, if you've made it this far, thank you as well. I'm touched that you even made it past the first chapter. The fact that you're reading this means a lot to me.

I'm really sorry to all of you that I couldn't provide a satisfying ending.

If anybody really wants me to come back and finish this, I will take it into account and try my darndest. I might also pop in to upload some one-shots on this account just for writing practice. Requests are welcome!

\- But that's not all! -

I've moved to a different account to post new fanfictions, and if you are interested, my new username is "ImNotThatMatt". A link to my new account can be found in my profile.

As a going-away present and very minor compensation for dropping this story in the middle of everything, I give you this chapter. The chapter you see here was my attempt at a brand new Ginny Weasley and the Purple Eyed Girl. I wanted to rewrite the beginning of the story and start fresh, and I really like how it turned out, but this is all there is. I hope you enjoy!

Have an awesome day, and I hope to see you on my other account in the future!

Cheers!

Chapter 1

* * *

The tops of the trees swayed alarmingly in the high, chilly wind. Copper and gold leaves flew like birds over their heads as they bustled between car and crooked house. The Weasleys were running late, as had been their tradition for as long as there had been a Weasley to go to Hogwarts. But this was the last year such a tradition would be held within the family. At least not for a long time.

More than once Ginny left the house for what she thought was the last time before finding herself minutes later telling her mother she had forgotten something. Hermione had of course been fully packed the night before, but even she was using the extra time to fuss nervously over what she might have missed.

"I know I forgot something, I always do." She was sounding harassed, looking around the sitting room of all places for anything that she might need.

"You don't forget anything," said Ron, somewhat sulkily. He had volunteered to help her search, but was merely leaning against the wall, looking at her. "Trust me, I know."

Ginny grinned as she passed them and went up the stairs. She opened a door on the third floor and entered her small, cozy room. It was emptier than usual, and darker. The sky outside was thick with heavy rainclouds, the storm only minutes away. She went to her desk, but didn't rummage for anything. Instead, she leaned against it, her arms folded.

She only had to wait a minute before her door opened and Harry entered.

"Finally caught on, have you?" She tried to sound sarcastic, but the excitement she felt at being alone with him for the first time in days made it difficult not to smile.

"Caught on?" he asked, closing the door.

"Yeah, I've been packed for the last half hour," she said, walking over and throwing her arms around his neck. "I've been waiting for you to notice. Well, I don't have _everything_ yet."

They grinned at each other, but there was a definite sadness in the air. Ginny wished, not for the first or the last time, that they had been alone like this more often over the summer. The urgency of the morning only gave them a minute, but Ginny wanted hours. Days. The whole term.

More.

"I... won't ask again," she began. "You've got your reasons..."

"I'm sorry," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist and making her heart thud. "I promise I'll write to you every week."

"I still want to talk to you about it," she said, her eyes darted from his eyes to his lips. "But... I'd rather not waste anymore... time..."

Harry complied without hesitation. The kiss was strong and deep, like their embrace. Neither wanted to let go, so they poured as much love into it as they could. It felt amazing, the feel of Harry, his strong arms around her, stroking her hair. She could feel herself floating. This was what it was supposed to have been like; the two of them, together, since the moment it had all ended.

But everything had gotten in the way.

Much like the sound of footsteps outside her door.

They broke apart, their eyes lingering on each other's for a fraction of a second that seemed to hold an eternity. Then Harry stepped back and started casually moving books along her bookshelf just as the door opened.

Ginny turned to look, but it wasn't Ron. It was Hermione. This was a surprise as Ron had almost always been the one to butt in, but Ginny found she wasn't as annoyed when Hermione did it. At least she had the grace to look embarrassed when she noticed what she had walked in on.

"Oh, uhm... I'm sorry," she said, her face going slightly pink. "But... we really do need to be leaving, right now. Your mum's starting to panic."

"We were just looking for something," said Ginny evasively.

"Found it!" said Harry. He turned and handed Ginny a random book on Quidditch teams. He winked and left the room with Hermione. Ginny followed.

She supposed it was probably unwise to waste so much time just to talk to him. Her mother was darting around the car, agitatedly transferring an owl cage to the back seat, and looking extremely anxious.

"There you are," she said in a rush. "Ginny, dear, get in the car please. If you forgot anything else, we can just send it to you."

"No, I'm ready to go," she lied, glancing at Harry. She climbed into the car and sat next to Hermione and Ron. Hermione was holding a very ruffled Crookshanks in her lap.

"Everyone in?" her father asked, leaning back from the front seat to look at her. "Are you sure you're ready this time, Ginny?"

"Yes."

"Finally," muttered Ron. Hermione elbowed him, and Crookshanks squirmed, trying to wriggle free.

The Ministry driver pulled them out and down the lane. Ginny craned her neck back to watch the Burrow vanish behind the line of trees that blocked the house from view.

It started to rain as they drove through the village and into London. By the time they got out at King's Cross station and began unloading the car, the storm had picked up. Rain hammered their umbrellas and trolleys as they entered the station. A very wet Pigwidgeon squeaked excitedly from his cage as the party moved through the building, drawing stares from commuters.

"It's nearly time!" said her mother, checking the clocks on the walls. "You two go first and get your trolleys on the train straightaway!"

Hermione and Ginny walked purposefully through the barrier and found themselves on platform nine and three-quarters, the familiar scarlet engine beside them belching steam and blurring the figures around them. They moved to the train and loaded their trunks and owl cages into a compartment and returned to find the rest of the Weasleys and Harry waiting for them.

A lot of people were staring, whispering to one another and pointing mostly at Harry, but he didn't seem to notice.

Hermione and Ginny exchanged quick hugs with everyone. Her father seemed to be holding himself together better than her mother, who was crying like she always did at times like these. George, who hadn't spoken all morning, gave her a warm hug and said in an undertone, "Have fun, Ginny."

Ginny's heart broke a little, and she tried to put a lot of unsaid things into the hug, but he broke away from her quickly.

When she reached Harry, Ginny gave him another kiss, not caring that everyone else was around. Hermione and everyone else who was more tactful than Ron seemed not to notice.

"I'm going to hold you to your promise," she said to him as they hugged.

"Don't worry. I'll keep it... I'm going to miss you."

Her heart seemed to break a little more. She hated seeing him go. It was one thing to be separated by necessity, when they were on the run from Death Eaters. But for him to willingly decide not to come back...

They broke apart reluctantly, but before she could turn to leave, he whispered in her ear, "Check the book I gave you."

She looked at him as the high-pitched whistle blew.

"Hurry up now girls!" her mother called, hugging Ginny again for good measure and moving both of them to the train. "Oh, have a good term you two."

"We will," Hermione said. Parents up and down the platform were rushing to the edge of the train, calling out last minute reminders to their children, waving goodbye. Ginny and Hermione climbed into their compartment together and leaned out the window to wave goodbye too.

The train jolted into motion and the platform began to slide away.

"See you at Christmas!" Ron yelled.

"Be good!" her mother called through her tears.

The train picked up speed, and the small family vanished amidst the steam and the crowd. Ginny pulled back into the compartment and sat down. Hermione waved one last time before ducking her head back in and closing the window with a snap.

"I wish I could stay," she said in a resigned voice, "but I have to meet with the Prefects up front."

"When will you be back?"

"I don't know, it really depends on who's there. I hope they found people who actually care about the rules this year." She pinned her new Head Girl badge on her breast and adopted a bossy sort of voice that reminded Ginny strongly of her mother. "You behave yourself while I'm gone now, young lady."

Ginny raised her eyebrows and let out a snort of laughter. Hermione grinned too and slid out of the compartment.

Ginny waited for a minute, partly to make sure Hermione had left, but also to savor the excitement that only a train ride to Hogwarts could elicit. Then she got up and closed the compartment door with a click. She turned and pulled her trunk down from the rack. She found the book Harry had handed her and quickly opened it.

Two folded bits of parchment fell out. Ginny opened the cleaner looking one and smiled, recognizing Harry's hand.

 _Ginny,_

 _I probably won't have enough time to say a proper goodbye, so I'm writing this. I'm sorry I haven't been able to find time to be with you much over the past few months. It's been far more busy than I thought it would be, but I hope you know that if I could, I would have spent every second of it with you._

 _I've decided to give you something for your final year. I'm sure you'll get more use out of it than I will, but just make sure you wipe it after each—_

Ginny stopped reading, her heart thudding.

"No way..."

She grabbed the other piece of parchment and opened it. Sure enough, it was blank. She took out her wand, tapped the center of the paper and muttered in an excited voice, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

Ink suddenly snaked outwards from the tip of her wand, tracing lines and shapes and words. Hallways, rooms, and corridors formed everywhere. Here and there a dot moved, the name of a ghost or a professor hovering next to it. For the very first time in her life, she looked upon the Marauder's Map. It was her's, at least for the year.

She hugged the parchment, wishing it was Harry.

"Thank you."

After a moment of shameless giddiness, she returned to his letter.

 _—but just make sure you wipe it after each use. You never know when Filch or a teacher might ask you to turn out your pockets._

 _I can't wait to hear about all the adventures you'll get up to._

 _I love you,_

 _Harry_


End file.
